It All Comes to This
by MisterBunny
Summary: The very prison walls seem to cry in agony.  Silence becomes their friend as each one falls to their knees accepting death as an escape...and it all comes to this...Beware Kakashi fangirls!
1. Prologue

Air; where did it go? It was all around her, but no where to be found. Her lungs demanded it, her brain told her to grab it, but her mouth could not indulge in the oxygen. Air; where did it go?

Falling to her knees and clutching her twisted throat, she made a feeble attempt to call out for help, but nothing came.

The spots in front of her eyes told her she was close to darkness; maybe it was better if she did pass out. The body automatically starts to breath.

It was agony waiting for her mind to slip. Her nails dug into her skin drawing blood, and the scratches on her neck let no oxygen in, just blood out.

Torture it was, she wished he would stop. This was the perfect way to torture a prisoner of war.

Sakura's eyes went blank, and her arms hung limp at her sides as her body toppled from the weight of her chains on the cold, damp cement floor.

She could breathe at last.

"Hm," a heavy buckled boot kicked Sakura's lifeless body. "Stubborn little runt…" Bending down made his knees crack which echoed off the walls in the prison chamber. Taking a finger he ran it across Sakura's jaw. "She won't be able to take this kind of treatment much longer. The body can only take so much."

Sakura's face once held a youthful seventeen year old glow, but now it was dirtied, weary and seemed aged with strife. Slowly she came to her senses. The man stood up and slammed the clanking metal door shut.

"Uh," Sakura moaned as her frail arms lifted her torso up. Her eyelids drooping and her head dizzy from malnurishment and loss of blood she coughed.

On all fours, Sakura crawled to her dark corner which was dimly lit by a barred window high on the opposite wall. It had all come to this. With everybody but her gone, she new her end was near. A simple mission gone horribly wrong.

Rock Lee…

Her eyes watered.

Neji Hyuga…

Sakura could not hold it in any longer.

Shikamaru Nara…

A single hot tear ran down her cheek.

Might Gai…

Sakura choked back the pool behind her eyes.

Kakashi Hatake…

But it was too powerful. She gasped as she remembered the last face with her dissapear.

Naruto Uzumaki…

She fell to the floor arms outstretched crying her eyes out. She didn't care who heard, it had been a long eight months with moldy bread, stale water, hard labor, ruthless torture and dark loneliness. Sakura wanted to die.

"Sakura! Sakura Haruno, are you in here?"

Footsteps clacked down the hallway and a loud crash was heard as someone broke down the metal bars of hell.

* * *

**This story is going to be quite depressing so prepare youselves.**


	2. Let's Go!

It was a beautiful day as Kakashi and Naruto stood outside of Sakura's door waiting for her to come out. They were supposed to meet up with Shikamaru, Neji and the two youthful ninjas Lee and Gai to carry out an S class mission.

Gai and Kakashi were no strangers to these type of missions, but for everyone else, it was a whole new experience. Tsunade was very careful to tell Kakashi and Gai that they could possibly die during this escapade, but they took it lightly knowing that the worst that could happen was that someone could lose a finger.

There was too much talent in their group for something horrible to occur and plus, all they were assigned to do was to push back enemy lines outside of the Village Hidden in the Stars. Kakashi had to do this the day he was assigned Jonin, and although the results were tragic, the mission was carried out. He was naïve and a lot less skilled back then.

Now equiped with a perfected chidori, a mangekyou sharingan, and a lesser version of rasengan Kakashi was ready to defeat and defend.

Sakura was a medical ninja, and had inherited Tsunade's famous brute strength. Naruto was seen as one of the strongest chuunin out there (((he still had to take the Jonin test))), Lee and his taijutsu was flawless, Shikamru was the genius of the village, Neji was destined for greatness, and Gai…well, Gai was equal in strength to Kakashi.

All seventeen and happy, exceptions being Kakashi and Gai who were 31, and Neji and Lee who were eighteen (((wow big difference))), they were restless and ready to ROCK AND ROLL!!!

The doorknob turned and out came Sakura saying good-bye to her parents.

"Honey please be careful," Mrs. Haruno ran out in tears hugging Sakura as if she would never return.

"Don't worry mom, Kakashi and Naruto are here to look after me!" Sakura smiled.

"Please take good care of my daughter you two," Mrs. Haruno waved from the doorway.

"That's a promise," Naruto waved back.

Kakashi nodded his head in agreement and the three shinobi made their way down the cobblestone street.

"Where are we supposed to be meeting them?" Naruto asked.

"Naruto you dunce, Kakashi only told you a billion times!" Sakura huffed.

"I can't help it if I forget!" Naruto defended.

"We're supposed to be meeting them at the village gate, Naruto," Kakashi said.

"Oh," Naruto stopped walking letting Sakura and Kakashi go ahead of him.

"You coming Naruto?" Kakashi asked looking straight forward.

"Um," Naruto was frantically rummaging through is back pack. "I think I forgot something."

"Ugh," Sakura turned around steam coming from her ears. "THIS IS OUR FIRST S RANK MISSION AND YOU'RE NOT EVEN PREPARED?!"

"Well I was in a hurry!" Naruto pouted.

"Let's just go to Naruto's house and let him get what he forgot. Gai and his team can wait," Kakashi smiled and walked past Sakura and Naruto gaping at him.

"Is it me or is Kakashi in an unusually good mood today?" Naruto whispered to Sakura.

"I guess," Sakura shrugged her shoulders.

He **was** in a good mood today! Kakashi had been seperated from his friends for a long time due to a mission that put him in the hospital for a year. Now, fully revived and anxious to go on a new mission, Kakashi felt that everything was perfect.

They arrived at Naruto's apartment complex and being Naruto, he ran up the wall and entered his room through the window. Sheets were thrown and tables turned over as he searched for his lost item.

"Where is it?" Naruto peered under his bed, and there it was! Sticking his arm under as far as it could go, he grabbed the black velvet box and shoved it deep in his bag. "Okay! Now I'm ready!" Closing the window tightly he jumped down landing on Kakashi.

"Naruto, you're sitting on my head…" Kakashi said muffled.

"Oh," Naruto nervously laughed. "Sorry." He got up off Kakashi and brushed himself off.

"NARUTO YOU IDIOT!" Sakura bonked Naruto on the head giving him a huge egg.

"Come on you two," Kakashi chuckled. "We don't want any injuries before we actually start."

"Yeah Sakura," Naruto stuck out his tongue.

"What did you say?" Sakura threatened.

"N-nothing…"

Sakura and Naruto had grown especially close over the past four months. Not exactly boyfriend and girlfriend, but not just regular friends. Kakashi saw this between the two young shinobi and smiled at the thought that at the rate they were going, a wedding would be scheduled very soon. But it was just wishful thinking.

"Gai!" Kakashi called out to the dozing jonin at the village gate.

"Wha—Kakashi!" Gai leaped to his feet wide awake. "You're late!"

"Sorry, Naruto forgot something," Kakashi said.

"Oh yeah put the blame all on me," Naruto crossed his arms.

"Let's just get this over with," Shikamaru yawned. "I should really be at my home helping my mother with my father."

Shikamaru's father had fallen severely ill last week with the flu, and Tsunade was too busy to attend to him, so it was up to Shikamaru and his mother to look after him. When he was assigned this mission he reluctantly accepted it.

"I am very excited! This is my first ever S Rank mission!" Rock Lee saluted Kakashi and his fellow comrads.

"Just don't make this excrutiating for me Lee," Neji sighed.

"What are you talking about?" Lee asked.

"Clueless," Shikamaru laughed.

"Ignore them Lee," Gai said. "They still have yet to learn the full power of youth!"

"Yeah because Gai knows what youth is," Kakashi whispered to Naruto and Sakura.

"I heard that Kakashi! Remember that you are the same age as me!" Gai announced.

"Yeah, yeah," Kakashi walked over to Neji giving him something. "Neji,Tsunade wanted me to give this to you."

"What is it?" Naruto craned his neck to see.

"None of your business," Neji slipped the concealed item into his pocket.

"Shall we go then?" Gai asked.

"Let's," Sakura agreed.

"Sakura, your eagerness is inspiring! Let us all try to be like Sakura!" Lee proclaimed.

"Oh boy…" Shikamaru rubbed his temples.

"Everybody have everything they need?" Kakashi double checked his bag and saw that he had all the essentials, of course he had his book. It was an essential.

A chorus of yes was heard and they were off!


	3. Captured

"From this point we should walk," Gai radioed.

"As opposed to what? Flying?" Naruto squawked.

"Don't be stupid Naruto!" Shikamaru scolded.

"Alright, everybody calm yourselves," Kakashi said.

"You calm yourself…" Naruto mocked.

"WHAT WAS THAT NARUTO?" Kakashi yelled.

"Kakashi, you're going to blow our ears drums up!" Sakura whimpered.

"Oh sorry," Kakashi murmured.

"I'm stuck with a bunch of doofuses," Neji said.

"EXCUSE ME?" Sakura yelled even louder than Kakashi.

"Sakura you are too loud!" said Lee.

"Let's just stop where we are," Gai sighed.

After the radio transmitted argument, the team of seven alighted near a stream and an overgrown forest.

"Let's set up shop here," Kakashi said observing his surroundings. "Neji, use your Byakugan and tell us how far we are from Star Village territory and the placement of their army."

"Yes," Neji activated his Byakugan and immediately found the grouping of star ninja. "The enemy lines are about a mile from here, just over a waterfall. And the village," Neji concentrated. "The village is about ten miles."

"Okay then," Gai said. "We'll have to stay alert and ready for any attack."

"Are we staying here all night?" Sakura asked.

"I would. Best that we rest up now and wait for tomorrow, then go in now tired and hungry from traveling," Shikamaru leaned against the tree.

"I disagree," Kakashi spoke up. "I say we attack tonight. They will sense our presence and ambush us in the morning."

"So this is why they call it S class," Naruto sighed. "So many decisions!"

"But Kakashi," Gai walked towards him, "It was you who said we should set up camp here."

"I know, and we can. We'll report back here once we take out that group of Star ninja."

"I am going to have to agree with Kakashi!" Lee stood up.

"Yes," Sakura nodded. "It's better that we attack them before they attack us."

"Just what I was thinking," Neji agreed.

"Well," Shikamaru said. "Looks like tonight we step into action."

"Midnight." Kakashi looked through the tree tops at the setting sun. "Okay, for those who rather, transformation jutsu will be necessary. Otherwise just change your outfit into the alternative one you brought along. This way if anybody catches a glimpse of us and gets away, which I doubt will happen, we'll be disguised."

"Can I use my Sexy Jutsu?" Naruto pleaded.

"Oh geez…Naruto you numbskull…" Neji wacked him upside the head.

"Actually, that would work swimmingly," Gai gave the thumbs up. "The power of youth!"

"My disguise is flawless!" Lee cheered.

"Lee and Naruto," tears streamed down Gai's face. "Your youthfulness makes me happy…"

"Alright Gai enough. From now on, it's serious. This is where the danger settles in." Kakashi made his way into the dense forest.

"Kakashi, are you expecting something bad to happen?" Sakura asked.

"No," Kakashi smiled. "Not at all."

Grabbing his back pack he vanished from sight. The rest of the team proceeded to transform and find places to hide themselves while they changed.

Sakura transformed into the third Hokage which made many people laugh. She cringed at the volume of the laughter hoping that no one could hear them, but Sakura could not hold back her giggle at Lee's disguise. He had put on a cape, and a mask like Kakashi's, but underneath wore pink pajamas. Neji and Shikamaru had both changed into the stereotypical ninja outfit (((all black with a mask only revealing their eyes))) and Gai had transformed into the deceased woman owner of the bookshop.

"What a swell group we are," Sakura sighed in the Hokage's voice.

"I'm back!" Kakashi returned from the forest in his ANBU uniform. "Nice disguises…" Kakashi laughed.

"Thank you!" Lee said.

"You're probably the most intimidating of us all Kakashi," Neji commented. Kakashi moved his mask to the side of his head.

"Well now that we're done changing, we should come up with a plan," Gai said.

The team sat around in a circle and fervently came up with tactics. It was a simple stay quiet and use genjutsu, freak them out and then attack plan. Neji came up with the idea that if they are unnerved enough, this mission shouldn't even be called and S class mission.

"I know, it's really easy! I don't understand why Tsunade marked it as an S rank," Sakura sighed.

"Well, there has to be a reason," Lee thought it over.

"Kakashi, Gai, do you know why it's an S class?" Naruto asked.

The two Jonin looked at each other neither giving an answer. "No I do not," Gai responded.

"Tsunade said that we could possibly die," Kakashi shrugged.

"Oh boy," Shikamaru started drawing pictures in the dirt.

"We're too strong of a team for anything like that to happen," Neji commented. "It's almost midnight, we should move out soon."

"Who died and made you leader?" Naruto scoffed.

"Hm, at least I'm not a girl…" Neji said indifferently.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY!?" Naruto yelled.

"Shh! Everyone quiet! You're too loud…" Kakashi silenced everyone. Standing up the moonlight reflected off of his ANBU mask. "Does anybody else here that?"

"Yes, I do," Gai narrowed his eyes.

"They're coming…" Kakashi turned around and pulled out a kunai. "Everyone, transform back into your original form and change back into your regular clothes. Then I want you to turn yourselves around and get some back-up. Shikamaru you're in charge. Gai you come with me."

"Hm."

Nobody asked any questions, but did what they were told. Gai and Kakashi ran silently to the forest.

"What do you thing that was about?" Sakura asked Naruto.

"I don't know, but Kakashi seemed pretty upset about it." Naruto pulled his back pack closer to himself practically hugging it.

"Alright you heard him, let's head out back to the village," Shikamaru dropped his voice to a stage whisper. "I can hear them now. Kakashi and Gai are holding them back. Let's go!"

"Right!"

Shikamaru followed by Neji, Lee, Sakura and Naruto all dashed off in the opposite direction. Sakura had a lump of guilt in her throat. She felt that they needed to be back there helping Kakashi and Gai fight off the Star ninja.

"Shikamaru!" Sakura shouted over the whipping of the wind against her ears.

"Yeah?"

"We forgot the radios! How will we be able to contact each other if we need to split up?"

"That's right," Shikamaru turned around and started running back to their camp sight. "Neji, take over, I need to clean up the evidence that we were there."

"Okay," Neji pulled out in front.

A bomb was set off in the background. The aftershock forced the shinobi to the ground. They smelt the smoke of a burning forest. Sakura closed her eyes tightly as the smoke burned her nose, throat and eyes.

"Go, go, go, go!" Shikamaru's voice called over the crackling of trees. "Run to the village, the Star ninja are coming!"

"What about Kakashi and Gai?" Naruto asked.

"What about them? They wanted us to go and get help so that's what we're going to do!" Neji said.

"We just can't leave them to die back there!" Naruto growled and sped off into the spreading fire.

"NARUTO!" Sakura shouted. "Naruto's right, we can't leave them behind!" Sakura sprinted off after Naruto.

"I am going after Sakura," Lee saluted. "Sorry Shikamaru, but my friends are in trouble." Lee vanished as well.

"Grr…come on Neji," Shikamaru and Neji were the last to go.

* * *

"They just keep coming," Kakashi said performing hand sign after hand sign. "Suiton: Suiryūdan no Jutsu!" The water from the stream rose above the forest and drenched it taking out a few Star ninja and sizzling out the fire. "Eugh…" Kakashi fell to his knee exhausted.

"Kakashi," Gai fought off a shadow clone. "This is unreal. I never thought that they would be this strong!"

"I know," kunai clashed and produced sparks as Kakashi rose again to his feet to fight. "Star ninja aren't known for being the strongest shinobi."

A sickening sound was heard as two poison needles entered Kakashi's legs making him fall on all fours.

"Kakashi!" Gai jumped in front of him as two ninja delivered a critical blow to Gai's face.

"Gai, no, why you!" Kakashi tried to move but the poison was spreading in his body fast, his vision became blurred and he felt a foot send him into a falling tree.

"Get away from him you bastard!"

"That's Naruto," Kakashi laughed barely there.

"Kakashi!" It was Sakura. "Here let me heal you."

"Sakura, why aren't you getting back up?"

"I can't leave you and Gai back to fend for yourselves."

"Don't believe in us?" Kakashi gasped as his arms tensed up.

"It's all right Kakashi, I got—" A ninja kicked Sakura away from Kakashi knocking her out.

"Sakura! You were supposed to our allies, and this is what you do to us, you backstabbers!" Kakashi spat at the looming Star shinobi.

All went black. Kakashi could not hear anything, could not feel anything, but he was moving.


	4. Enter Mikobu

"Naruto, Sakura?" Kakashi called out in the darkness. He got no answer. "Gai, Neji, Lee, Shikamaru?" He was alone in the moving train. His wrists were tied behind him, and he felt the warm blood run down his eyelids and down his cheek. Kakashi pushed against the side of the cart to hoist himself up. His legs were still partially numb from the two poison needles lodged into his calves.

Stumbling across the wooden slats he tripped over a body. "Ugh…uh…" Kakashi's eyes now adjusted to the dark area, and saw pink hair sprawled out on the floor. "S-Sakura!" Kakashi used all his might to break the rope around his wrists, but it only cut deeper into his flesh. "Sakura!"

Turning his head around he saw the limp body of Naruto. "Naruto!" Making sure there was no one else in the cart with them he tried to release himself from his bindings and in a grunt of strength he broke loose and started to untie Naruto and Sakura ignoring his mangled wrists.

"Sakura," Kakashi shook Sakura awake. "You have to get up now. Naruto!"

A moan was heard from the sleeping blonde. "K-Kakashi, is that you?"

"Naruto," Kakashi ran over to Naruto. "Get up, we need to talk, its important."

Rubbing his eyes Naruto fell over in weariness. Kakashi caught him and carried him next to Sakura who was coming too. "Kakashi," Sakura wheezed.

"Sakura, stay calm." Kakashi put down Naruto next to Sakura.

"What's going on?" Naruto asked sleepily.

"There's no time for questions. Now listen carefully, we only have a little time left to talk this way to each other."

"What happened?" Sakura snapped awake.

"I need you to keep your head. We were captured by Star shinobi and are currently on our way to a prisoner camp. They will torture you and humiliate you and push you till you cannot stand, but whatever happens, do not cry, do not laugh, do not show any emotion that shows that you are suffering."

"Kakashi!" Naruto eye's widened.

"Naruto, Sakura, do whatever they tell you to do. If you deny a request they will kill you, do you understand?"

The two frightened shinobi nodded their heads.

"Good. I don't know where the rest are, so it's best that we stay close together until we find them. If we are not rescued from the camp within six months, escape. If anybody, God forbid, is to die, do not mourn, forget about them and think about your own life."

The train gave a lurch and Kakashi looked towards the door making sure nobody was coming. "I never thought that this mission would end up like this…stick together. Especially you Naruto, watch over Sakura."

All was silent as the train came to a screeching halt and heavy boots were heard clacking on the gravel. The door was opened and two grimy fat hands took Kakashi by the shoulders and pulled him outside not caring that his head hit the side of the car.

The other shinobi came in and picked up Sakura and Naruto before they could react and dragged them outside.

Sakura's mind was shaking, and so were her hands, and despite Kakashi's words, she could not help by utter a cry. Looking over at Naruto who was doing his best to control his temper she saw Gai, Neji, Lee and Shikamaru being removed from their train car.

Lee was limping from his crushed leg, and Shikamaru was wincing in pain from his captors grasp.

A violent and nasty voice was heard. "Line them up men!" Sakura was suddenly dropped on the ground and like a rag doll was brought to her feet and pushed into a line standing next to Kakashi and Gai.

The rest of the team were all quiet and obedient, they had received the same talk from Gai. "LOOK ALIVE!" That same voice called again. Kakashi stood at attention and Sakura did the same.

"Hm," a man dressed in a simple tan uniform and a star village headband came out from the wooden building. Dust blew around the shinobi's ankles and blasted their faces with tiny shards of glass. Sakura shivered in terror, but Kakashi took her hand and squeezed it in reassurance.

The feet started at Shikamaru and the villainous face carefully examined him. "What's your name?" He barked.

"Shikamaru Nara."

"Nonsense. What's your name?" The man slapped Shikamaru across the face causing blood to trickle down his ear. A gasp was heard from Gai.

"Shikamaru…Nara…"

"Nara eh?" He continued to Lee who was standing like a soldier. "And who's this pansy?"

"Rock Lee sir!"

"Sir, never been called sir before. For someone in your position, I wouldn't act so happy." Lee did not respond. The man spat in Lee's face and laughed. "Nice outfit…"

Neji was next. "Is this a Hyuuga? The almighty Hyuuga clan joins us. And what be your name?"

"Neji Hyuuga."

"Neji, aren't you the nephew of the Hiashi Hyuuga, the head of the Hyuuga clan?"

Neji nodded.

Finding Neji uninteresting he moved to Gai. "Another jolly green giant I see. Ha! Oh but what's this? A girl have we? Haven't had one of these in here for quite a while. Listen girly…"

"Sakura Haruno."

"Sakura," the man breathed deeply into Sakura's hair and ran a hand down sketching her jaw line. "I could save you, if you come to me."

"I'll never go to you!" Sakura spat.

"Now don't be that way," his hand moved closer to her chest which made Kakashi shift uncomfortably. "You know I can do whatever I want."

"Get your hands off me you SCUM!" Sakura said through clenched teeth.

"I see," he raised his hand and punched Sakura in the stomach making her cry out in pain.

"Don't touch her!" Kakashi yelled instantly regretting what he said.

"What was that? Did I hear some form of resistance?" The greasy slim looked Kakashi right in the eyes. "Kakashi Hatake, the copy ninja. We meet again, but this time, it is me who has the upper hand."

Kakashi did not give up his glare.

"Hm," the man became unnerved by this staring contest and withdrew a kunai shoving it into Kakashi's side.

"Uh!" Kakashi winced and he let out a sharp breath, but did not fall to his knees just increased the intensity of his stare. Another punch was delivered to his face.

"Let this be a lesson to all those who defy me, Zenasee Mikobu, that all those dissenters will be punished unmercifully. You are my slaves and will do anything I will tell you to do! YOU WILL NOT TALK UNLESS SPOKEN TO, AND FURTHERMORE...you will not talk to each other."

Sakura looked on with horror as she watched her former sensei have to act helpless, letting himself be beaten senseless. Pulled up to his collar, Zenasee yanked out the kunai in Kakashi's side and held it up to Kakashi's throat. "Hatake," he laughed. "I want to see your pain!" Just as he was to tear off Kakashi's mask, he changed his mind. "Another day."

Zenasee Mikobu pushed Kakashi back who was stabilized with the help of Sakura. Sakura was about to heal Kakashi's wound but was signaled not to.

"A blond girly boy!" Mikobu just chuckled to himself. "What a great bunch I have captured! A Hyuuga, the famous copy-nin and now, I believe that this brat is a Jinchuuriki."

"That's Naruto Uzumaki to you!"

Mikobu smirked at Naruto's torn face.

"Men?" Two grunts poofed beside Mikobu, "Take the prisoners away." Mikobu walked back into his wooden building as the prisoners were taken to their doom.


	5. Poison Walls

**Sorry for the late update! I've been busy...anyways, the chapters will be shorter than usual for a while. It helps with the thought process. Some of the chapters could be rated M for violence so you have been warned. You are about to read the dark side of my writing so uh...yeah...**

* * *

"Get in here you scum," the big meaty hands that dragged the limp shinobi down the cold dank hallway threw Kakashi into a cell forcefully making his arm crack uncomfortably. "Hurry up with those other two!" He barked at a figure who was carrying two young ninjas in his arms. Looking back at Kakashi who glared up at the man and was wiping blood from his head he smirked. "I've heard about you…that sharingan takes up chakra doesn't it? You think you look so menacing with that ANBU outfit on, well you're just a failure, and soon, your body will give out and you will die."

"Here are the other two," the other grunt tossed Naruto and Sakura on the floor leaving them to scimper away next to Kakashi. "See you tomorrow…" the metal bars slammed shut and only boots walking on the pavement could be heard. No one dared say a word. Even Kakashi, who was suffering kept silent. Now in a sitting position, Kakashi leaned his head against the wall allowing his eyes adjust to the dim light.

Sakura started to shake, she couldn't control herself. It was death all around her. The cell smelt like rotting dead rats, and the old toilet in the corner was backed up; a pool of contaminated water settling around the base. Drips could be heard from the ceiling. The plumbing must be over her she thought. Her eyes scanned the rest of her prison and stopped dead on a skeleton. The bones were just recently exposed to the air, and bits of hair and flesh were still in contact. This set Sakura off, she pushed towards Kakashi more, making sure he was still there and looked on the other side of him watching Naruto scope out an escape route.

Sakura felt a hand clasp hers. It was warm, unlike her surroundings. "Don't worry Sakura," a quivering voice comforted. "Naruto and I are here for you. I'll protect you with my life."

"You betcha Sakura, believe it!" Naruto smiled half-heartedly. He meant what he said, but could not express what he felt. He was too much in shock.

Sakura felt the grip ease and slip away as Kakashi fell forward, breathing heavily and sweating. His eyes were rolling back in his head and he could feel himself become freezing to the point where he was burning.

"Kakashi!" Sakura and Naruto cried.

"Shh," Kakashi let out. "No, d-on't…please…this pla-ace has e-eyes. D-on't help me, I'll g-get over it my-my-huh-self…" he was half hiccoughing half choking on his words. His arms shakily held his weight. The bleeding had stopped from his side wound, but his arm was sprained, and the worst of the poison from the needles was still to come.

"That's ridiculous Kakashi," Sakura said. "I need to heal you, you will die!"

"Sakura's right," Naruto supported Kakashi's head which had fallen to the side lazily. "We can't leave you in this condition."

Panting and gasping and going into fits of shivering, Kakashi made a gagging noise. "Uh-uh…" Kakashi shook his head. "If I can hold on long enough, the poison will take its course and eventually die out."

Sakura moaned at Kakashi's stubborness, but a sudden sadness filled her heart. "This isn't the first time you've been treated this way on a mission?" Naruto stared at his feet. Kakashi gave no answer afraid he might throw up if he opened his mouth. Instead, he firmly took the needles in his calf and pulled them out. Kakashi broke them in half with the last of his strength and made himself as comfortable as he could.

"They took all of our stuff," Naruto mumbled. "Sakura, I-I had something in there for you…"

"Naruto…" Sakura gazed at him in wonder. This was the first time she had seen Naruto look defeated. They both shared the same thought. They would not make it out of here alive.


	6. A Way Out

"I think you did it wrong," Shikamaru sighed. He picked up the sharp stone on the ground and crossed out the makeshift tic-tac-toe board on the wall. "This is how you actually do it." Shikamaru carefully drew a # on the cement.

"But is that not how I made it Shikamaru?" Lee asked.

"No, you had too many horizontal lines."

Neji meditated in his designated corner listening to the sounds that passed through the barred window. He would use his Byukugan to see what was going on outside, but decided it would be better if he did not.

Gai was doing the same as Naruto; looking for that escape route. His hands felt the stones on the floor hoping to find some type of trap door. Team Gai had been fortunate enough to get the well kept cell. There was a sink and a working toilet, and the cobwebs were miniscule.

"I'm X's, you're O's," Shikamaru said.

"Okay," Lee smiled.

"We're in the most troublesome situation and you still manage to look happy," Shikamaru sighed.

"Might as well make the best of a situation."

"That's my boy Lee," Gai walked up to him slapping Lee on the back. "But remember what I told you before. You have to be careful around these people. They can take your life anytime they please."

"And slap you across the face too…" Shikamaru mumbled as he put in place the 'X' to defeat Lee.

"Good job Shikamaru," Lee yawned.

"Exactly what are you doing Gai?" came Neji's voice.

"Looking…" Gai responded crawling on all fours feeling the floor.

"I can see that, but what for?"

"Hm," Gai put his ear on a stone and listened for a while before he stood back up. "When the time comes, I'll tell you."

The last of the sunlight faded through the window and the cell became pitch black. A small flicker from the ancient bulb hanging from the ceiling gave the shinobi some light to see each other. The temperature dropped about thirty degrees instantly.

"It sure is cold in here," Lee shivered.

"Well then, we'll just have to huddle together to keep warm." Gai sat himself next to Lee.

"I suggest someone keep watch," Neji volunteered himself first. "We'll take shifts."

"Great idea Neji! But I insist that I go first. Young people need their rest. Tomorrow's going to be rough." Gai said.

"You mean a living hell?" Shikamaru sighed as he reluctantly scooted closer to Lee.

"You don't have to point out the obvious Shikamaru," Gai scolded. "Now get some sleep. I'll wake you up in an hour or so."

"Gai," Lee squeaked. "How do you thing Naruto and the others are doing?"

"I'm sure Kakashi has everything under control. If I know my rival, right now he's planning an escape right now." Gai did not believe a word he had just said. Doubt filed his mind, and knowing that Kakashi had already been brutally beaten and had been poisoned the previous night, Gai's brain could not help thinking that he was already dead.

As soon as Gai took his position next to the metal bars, Lee had fallen asleep. Shikamaru was playing with his tic-tac-toe stone before he threw it halfway across the room. Neji just watched the spot on the floor that Gai had put his ear up to wondering what he had heard.

The walls produced creaks and moans and the wind howled against the building keeping Neji awake. He waited for his shift pretending to be asleep, but Gai never woke him up. He figured that Gai had fallen asleep so he opened his eyes only to see him bent over pulling something up from the ground like a cork.

Gai looked back to see that no one was awake and Neji snapped his eyes shut. Stone was heard scraping on the floor and Gai dissapeared through the hole. Neji heard Gai land on solid ground beneath him. Right on cue, a guard came walking up the hallway. Thinking on his feet, Neji replaced the stone and created a shadow clone that looked like a sleeping Gai and faked sleep.

"Hm…" the man outside the cell peered inside. Seeing all was in order he went his way. A knock came from the stone. Neji ran over to it and pulled it out.

"Neji, I've found our way out!"


	7. Torture Technique Number One:Humiliation

**Kakashi fans...try not to cry...I hate doing this to my favorite character, but for the sake of the story!**

* * *

"GET YOUR SORRY ASSES UP NOW!" a voice barked. Kakashi, Naruto and Sakura were all dragged by their hair to a small white room. "STAND UP!" Half asleep, they did as they were told. 

Kakashi was extremely ill and his legs could not hold him up. Naruto and Sakura, disheveled and sore, gasped but kept their heads straight forward.

"I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU TO STAND?!" The shinobi who had pulled them into the room raised his fist with the intention of beating Kakashi senseless but was stopped.

"No, Kizu," a voice which was instantly recognized as Mikobu's demanded. "Let's have some fun. See if he can stand by himself."

Kakashi took this order as a gift. Slowly he lifted his heavy head. His eyes were bloodshot and his face a deathly pale green; his legs were numb and his arms were weak. Kakashi winced at his wound and he grabbed his side to feel new blood mingling with the dried blood. Slowly he stood up, but not straight.

"Kizu," Mikobu said calmly.

"I know exactly what you are thinking." Kizu pulled from his side what appeared to be a whip, and unleashing it, Kakashi stared at the tightly wound leather unraveling and hitting the floor. Sakura and Naruto closed their eyes fearing the worst.

"OPEN YOUR EYES AND LOOK AT HIM!" Mikobu laughed.

They did not.

"DO AS HE SAYS!" The whip snapped and Sakura and Naruto opened their eyes.

"Just do it…" Kakashi grumbled.

"I would listen to your elders," Kizu smirked.

"Kakashi," Sakura whispered.

"It's alright," Kakashi braced himself as the whip made contact with his back and neck and he found himself on the ground once again.

Howling laughter was heard from Mikobu and Kizu. "Look at that pathetic example of a shinobi; so helpless, yet so smart for giving in. Take him away Kizu!"

"Gladly," Kizu kneeled to face Kakashi and tied a rope around his neck. "Come on doggy…" he mocked tugging at the loose rope in his hand.

"You are too funny Kizu!" Mikobu turned Sakura and Naruto around to watch Kakashi being pulled around like a dog on a leash.

"Kakashi Hatake, a joke," another yank on the rope produced a choking noise from Kakashi. "He even yelps like a dog!" Kizu lifted the leash in the air making Kakashi stand painfully with his hands scratching at the collar around his neck. "Hey Mikobu, what do you say we see what the mutt looks like?"

"Hm," Mikobu thought. "No not yet."

"I've never been much of a dog person. In fact you know what I used to do to puppies?" Kizu asked Mikobu.

"What did you Kizu, I know these two brats are interested."

"Kill them…" Kizu whipped out a kunai and held it to Kakashi's neck

Sakura cried out 'no' and Naruto leapt forward struggling against Mikobu's tight grip.

"Let me go you evil son of a bitch! Kakashi fight back, don't let them do this to you!" Naruto swung around and punched Mikobu on the face.

"Naruto," Sakura put her hands to her mouth. Mikobu's head slowly made its way upright again.

"Kizu," Mikobu smiled in delight. "Let him go. I think we've accomplished enough for today."

"I agree," Kizu cut the rope around Kakashi's neck with the kunai and he fell to the floor coughing. Sakura ran towards Kakashi easily slipping out of Mikobu's grip. Naruto glared at Mikobu was intensity.

"I wouldn't try that again boy," Mikobu snarled. "Girl, stop where you are going!" Sakura froze; Mikobu appeared behind her making her jump. "You're coming with me."

"Sakura!" Kakashi called out but it was too late. Sakura, Kizu and Mikobu had vanished leaving Naruto and Kakashi in the white room alone. Shame blinded Kakashi and he fell on his side quaking. Naruto walked to the human figure.

"I'm going to find a way out of here," Naruto tried the door they had come through, but it was sealed and would not budge. Naruto tried to break down the wall, but it too was under a sealing jutsu. Kakashi's blood contrasted with the white floor. He wasn't moving which frightened Naruto.

"Kakashi, stay alive!" Naruto couldn't run fast enough to his former sensei. Shaking him, Kakashi did not respond. "No…" waving his hand in front of his eyes, Kakashi's pupils dilated which meant he was still alive. "Come on, move!" Kakashi couldn't; the poison racing through his blood stream paralyzed him.

Lifting Kakashi in his arms, Naruto checked his pulse; weak. "Oh God," Naruto held back tears as Kakashi made weird gargling noises and started shaking violently. "Shit!"

The seizure lasted for at least three minutes and when it had stopped Naruto laid Kakashi on his side, remembering his basic first aid training. A whimper came from Kakashi's body; the bleeding stopped but not Kakashi's embarrassment when it struck him that Naruto had just witnessed him having a fit.

"It's okay Kakashi," Naruto took of his jacket and rested Kakashi's head on top of it.

"Nar-uto…I'm sorry you had to see that…" Kakashi apologized. A nagging question was consuming Naruto's mind...Sakura...what would happen to her?

"Sakura will come back right?"

No answer.

"Kakashi, will she?"

"I don't know Naruto. In this type of situation—"

Naruto slammed his fists on the ground. "Dammit!"


	8. Torture Technique Number Two:Teasing

"Gai, what are they going to do to us?" Lee whispered.

"SHUT YOUR MOUTH!" Kizu yelled.

Lee, Shikamaru, Neji and Gai were all tied by the ankles and hands to posts in a dark room with a single light shining brightly against a white board.

Pacing around the room, Kizu performed various hand signs. The white board spun around to reveal Sakura chained by the throat and hands struggling to free herself.

"Sakura!" Lee called out.

Sakura looked up and tried to call Lee's name, but nothing came out. Her eyes widened with horror as she tried to speak. Panic made her pull against her chains, but they only drew blood from her wrists and her neck.

"What are they going to do to Sakura?" Lee asked in terror.

"SHUT UP!" Kizu punched Lee across the face.

"Lee, I would suggest you be quiet and do as this man tells you to!" Gai said in a stage whisper.

"It's him…" Shikamaru gasped. All head turned to see Mikobu come from the shadows in the corner of the room.

"Hello," Mikobu stood in front of them with his hands folded. A sinister smile spread across his face and Neji screamed out in pain.

"Neji! What are you doing to him?" Gai snarled.

"The jolly green giant speaks…if you must know, I am simply torturing him. You wanna see?"

Gai's world became red. He was swimming in blood and a sharp shooting pain was crawling up his arm. He raised it from the sticky substance to see bugs chewing away at his hand. He flicked them off, but then he felt something scuttle out of his ears.

Shikamaru and Lee watched as Neji and Gai shouted and twisted their bodies as the genjutsu tortured them. Unable to undo the genjutsu they had to be spectators.

Neji started to turn purple and he finally started to meow like a cat and roar foaming at the mouth. Shikamaru's heart raced convinced that Neji was possessed. Lee could not watch any longer.

"Please stop!"

"What was that?" Mikobu checked over his shoulder to make sure Sakura was watching. She was, and her expression was complete fear.

"I said stop!" Lee repeated. Shikamaru was dumbfounded at Lee's sudden bravery and disobedience of Gai's words. Neji and Gai fell to their knees gasping for air, their arms uncomfortably stretched behind them.

"No matter, those two were just practice."

"Practice? Who do you think you are?" Lee shouted.

"We've got quite the cheeky one here don't we?" Lee's defiance amused Mikobu.

"Let Sakura go, she did nothing to harm you!" Lee continued.

"Hm…"

"You have no right to hold us here against our will!"

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Mikobu gripped Lee's chin and jerked his head upwards. "YOU ARE MY PRISONERS NOW, AND PRISONERS DO WHAT THEY ARE TOLD! OR HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR FRIEND HATAKE?"

"I do not care…" Lee spat.

"Lee, stop!" Shikamaru nudged him.

"JUST FOR THAT I THINK I'LL DOUBLE THE PUNISHMENT!" Mikobu let go of Lee and backed up so all could see Sakura. "Your love, I think, will be the perfect way to make up for your insolence."

"DO NOT TOUCH HER!" Lee bellowed.

Mikobu snapped his fingers and Kizu brought over a very sharp katana. "This is perfect…however, it's too sharp. Get me a dull one; I want her to feel it." Sakura tried to scream for help but no noise was heard.

"SAKURA!" Lee pulled apart the bindings on his wrist and went to untie the rope around his ankles but Kizu pushed him up against the wall and only tied his hands together tighter.

"Let's get this over with Kizu, this kid is annoying me." Kizu handed Mikobu a rusty sword that appeared not to have been used in a few years. "Perfect. Now watch as you will not be able to do anything." Suddenly turning around, he shoved the sword into Sakura's stomach.

She let out a blood curdling scream that echoed throughout the whole room.

"How do you like that…Lee?" Mikobu taunted. "You made her scream…ha…" Pulling the katana out of the flesh Mikobu stroked Sakura's face. "Sakura Haruno…my little cherry blossom…" Once again the sword found its way into Sakura's pelvis.

Shikamaru, Neji, Gai and Lee's ears were filled with the cry of Sakura's pain, and the sound of the sword slicing through muscle and skin was amplified ten-fold.

Sakura was struggling to hold back the tears that threatened to clean her face but she remembered Kakashi's words never to show that you are suffering, and she took the final blows of the sword silently.

"Not shouting anymore I see," Mikobu frowned. "Perhaps you have gotten used to it by now." Dropping the sword, he snapped his fingers and Sakura's wounds were healed. "However, I'm still not done with you…" A sinister laugh made its way out of his lips.

"What do you mean 'you are not done with her'?" Lee demanded to know.

"You are so loud, Kizu, fix that…"

"Sure thing," Kizu ambled over to Lee and knocked him out cold with a blow to the head.

"LEE!" Gai shouted, unaware of the volume in which he said this.

"Of all torture techniques this has to be my favorite," Mikobu chuckled. "Seeing the look on other people's faces as their closest friends are marred and beaten, unable to help."

"You're sick…" Neji mumbled.

"Thank you," Mikobu unchained Sakura and grabbed her by the arm dragging her to face the tied shinobi. "Take a long look at her; this could be the last time you'll see precious Sakura." They vanished in a poof of smoke.

Kizu untied the ninja. "You want to know what my favorite type of torture is? I'll give you a hint; I wouldn't want to get hit if I were you." The light died out leaving only a black room.

* * *

**Next chapter! Well...let's say it's going to be pretty sweet...in a bad way...**


	9. Wish You Were Here

**I totally wrote this while "Wish You Were Here" by Pink Floyd was playing, and I didn't realize it until they actually sang the chorus, and I'm like…woah…**

* * *

Silence…

They were used to it by now.

A whole month of silence logged in.

Sitting…

Rotting…

Dying…

Naruto and Kakashi in one room; Gai, Lee, Shikamaru and Neji in another…

Or at least…that's what they thought…

Hoped…

Prayed for…

Who knows, they could be dead.

The way out—Gai was so close to freedom—so close, yet so far.

Kakashi was so close to death—hanging on by a thread—so close, yet so far.

Stale food was shoved through the bars every night, and murky water every morning. Torture was expected every afternoon at the same time, same place.

If they are to escape, they first must find each other.

"Naruto, eat…" Kakashi said.

"Kakashi, you haven't eaten anything in three days! I insist that you have something."

"I don't need it."

"You're such a stubborn mule! Am I going to have to shove this down your throat?"

"Maybe…"

"At least I'll get to see your face."

"Maybe…"

"Can you say anything other than maybe?"

"Maybe…"

"URG!"

Kakashi's stomach gave a loud grumble. "Okay, maybe I do need something to eat."

"Here," Naruto ripped the loaf of bread in half and threw Kakashi the bigger side.

"Thanks," Kakashi took his mask off and ravenously ate it. "What?"

"I-I…" Naruto sighed. "How is it that I've been in here for a month with you and I have never once seen your face?"

"I eat when you sleep," Kakashi attempted a smile. The poison had run its course; that was no longer a problem, but Kakashi's emaciated face and dark circles under his eyes told a story of suffering from lack of chakra, malnurishment and an infection. Both his sharingan and his hair had lost their luster; he needed a good shave too. He wasn't the type of man that grew a huge beard but he looked pretty scraggy.

Naruto was more affected inwardly. He had become very quiet and anxious; anyone who had endured various types of torture would be changed drastically too.

Naruto finished his meal and leaned back on the wall. Kakashi replaced his mask and cocked his head. "What are you thinking about Naruto?"

It was hard for him to say…nobody had seen Sakura in over three weeks…Naruto's heart sunk and he felt like crying every time he thought of Sakura's dead body somewhere. "I'm thinking about—Sakura."

"How long has it been?"

"Too long," Naruto brought his knees to his chest.

"You think she'll come back?"

"I don't know…at first I did, but now…"

"Well, if it was her time, she's in a better place," Kakashi yawned.

"Any place is better than this…"

"Have faith Naruto. If someone doesn't find us, then we can escape," Kakashi said.

"Wait, are you religious?" Naruto joked.

"…yeah, I guess…" Kakashi thought.

"Oh…"

All of a sudden Kakashi grabbed his side in pain. "Uh, stupid, err!"

"Kakashi, are you going to even make it past this month?" Naruto asked.

"To be honest Naruto, I don't know how I made it through two weeks. If this infection spreads too far, just kill me. Tell everybody when you escape that I died an honorable man with a little dignity left."

"Hey, what good would that do me?" Naruto pouted.

"Think of it this way, you get all the food to yourself."

"Yeah right Kakashi, there's no way you are dying without my consent."

"Haha," Kakashi laughed sarcastically.

"Boy do I wish Sakura was here."

"Me too."

"And the others, it's been so long I think I've forgotten what they look like."

"Naruto," Kakashi said solemnly.

"Yeah Kakashi?"

"Don't get your hopes up…they could be dead too."

"I don't want to think that way…have faith Kakashi!" Naruto nudged Kakashi's arm.

"Hm…" Kakashi closed his bloodshot eyes and fell into a light sleep.

* * *

"If you know the way out, how come we haven't left?" Neji asked Gai.

"We have to find the others first," Gai said as he shifted weight from one leg to the other.

"They're probably dead," Shikamaru sighed. Gai did not reprimand him this time for Shikamaru was right. Even Lee who usually had a positive outlook on all situations could not help but agree. Ever since Sakura went missing he had been very sullen, feeling that it was his fault.

"We'll give it five more months. According to our calendar, what day is it Shikamaru?" Gai asked.

"It is August 16, a Thursday," Shikamaru crossed off the date on the wall drawn calendar. "Exactly three weeks you haven't mentioned the power of youth."

"Oh really, well let the power of youth shine forth!" Gai gave the thumbs up. As ridiculous as the expression was, it gave people a feeling of happiness whenever he said it, but now the words fell like a lead balloon. (((Led Zeppelin)))

"Exactly three weeks since we last saw Sakura," Lee muttered.

"Lee, I'm afraid you're going to end up killing yourself," Neji commented.

"At least I would be with her…" Lee hanged his head low.

"Now this isn't the Lee I know," Gai sat down beside him.

"I know, but, I must take full responsibility for her torture. I should not have protested the way I did."

"Lee, people make mistakes, Sakura would never blame you for what happened back there," Gai reassured. "Here, I have an idea. Make it a goal to find Sakura before we try to leave. Try to spot her every time we are taken out of the cell."

"I will find Sakura," Lee stated with a quiet confidence. "I wish she was here."


	10. What Have I Done?

The moonlight shone through the window casting barred shadows on his silver hair. He could hear the voices of the Star shinobi drinking and stumbling over furniture, laughing in the cozy cabin up ahead of him. Kakashi could not fall asleep, as hard as he tried, as much as his body wanted to, he could not.

Looking over at the sleeping Naruto he noticed his shivering body. A slight grunt was heard as Kakashi took off his ANBU shirt and laid it on top of Naruto; he knew it wouldn't do much, but it made him feel better that he could still try.

There was still some water left in the jug the guards had brought in the following day, and Kakashi rinsed out his wound with what was left wincing at the sting. The pool of water created a mirror, and it was lit just enough so Kakashi could see himself.

It was the first time he had seen himself in a month. His eyes widened; it couldn't be him, this was not the person he had gone on a mission as. Kakashi ran his hand over the black and blue marks that covered his neck and his collar bone, and the red scars and marks on his chest. He dare not look under his mask…it would be too scary…

Kakashi sighed and rested his head back on the wall. His eyes steered towards Naruto once more. His chest wasn't moving. Thinking the worst had happened, Kakashi leaned forward to get up, but then Naruto produced a loud snort and murmured something turning on his side.

It took a while for his heart to crawl back up from his feet; it exhausted Kakashi terribly to have this much adrenaline pumping through his system. His fever made him delusional, it was best he closed his eyes.

Kakashi's mind started to drift into sleep; finally…The cold wind blew against his bare chest cooling it of the pain he felt.

"Hm…thanks for the thrills…" The gates unbolted. Kakashi snapped his eyes open; Naruto bolted up.

It couldn't be.

There she was—Sakura.

Thrown on the floor, the doors closed again. "See you later little girl." The lock bolted and the guard walked away.

"S-Sakura," Kakashi gasped. Forgetting his pain he faltered over to Sakura. "Sakura, oh Sakura," Kakashi took her in her arms and pushed her messed hair out of her eyes which were dull and sleepy. Naruto came running over from where he once slept.

"Kakashi, what—" His eyes fell upon Sakura. He fell to his knees beside her.

"Naruto…" Kakashi whispered. "She's alive…" the quiver in Kakashi's voice made Naruto look up at the man holding the lost and found. Sadness shone in his eyes, and for a minute, Naruto believed that he saw tears well up threatening to break the dam that held them in.

"Sakura, you're back!" Naruto said. "Sakura, can you hear us? What happened? Where were you?" Naruto could not help but smile when a hand outstretched and touched his face.

"Naruto," Sakura's eyes shimmered once again. "Oh Naruto!" Sakura jumped out of Kakashi's arms and hugged Naruto never wanting to let go. "I was so worried…the things they told me…what I had to witness them putting you through…but never did I cry, Kakashi," Sakura turned her head to face him. "Never once, I kept telling myself that if I did I would die and even though they…"

"Shh Sakura…it's okay, you're here and alive," Sakura fell into Kakashi's grasp and he comforted her as she told of the atrocities they put her through.

"And I had to stay hidden, gagged as they tortured you all, and I was right there, I could've helped you…" Sakura buried her head deeper into his chest.

Sakura was fine when you glanced at her, but take a better look and you could see the marks where Mikobu ordered her to be tied up, or beaten; Kakashi had a feeling that they did more than that.

"Sakura," Naruto started.

"What else did they do to you?" Kakashi asked.

Sakura stared into his tired eyes, "K-Kakashi…I-I can't," Sakura shook her head.

"Sakura, what did they do to you?" Kakashi asked a little more firmly.

"They—oh Kakashi, Naruto, it's too embarrassing," she choked back tears. Kakashi looked at Naruto who both had the same idea.

"Okay," Kakashi stroked her hair as she gripped his arms tighter in her frightening memories, "You don't have to answer us if you don't want to. We're going to ask you questions, and just say yes or no."

"It's okay Sakura," Naruto said. "I'll ask the first question…is Gai's team still alive?"

"Yes."

"Do they want us to know what you've seen?" Kakashi asked.

"No," Sakura answered.

"Are there any other prisoners here?" Naruto asked.

"No."

Kakashi paused before he asked his next question. "Sakura…did they…take advantage of you in any way?"

"…yes…"

Kakashi gripped Sakura by the shoulders and looked her straight in the eyes. "Did they take advantage of you…sexually?"

Sakura bit her bottom lip and closed her eyes as she nodded. "Yes they did, Kakashi, they did." Sakura fell back into the same comforting position in Kakashi's hold.

"Alright, Sakura…" Kakashi led Sakura to the more 'comfortable' side of the cell. "I suppose you don't want to talk about it?"

"No I don't…" Sakura whimpered.

"Okay, you two get some sleep. I'm sorry to say our troubles have just begun." Kakashi knelt beside Naruto and whispered, "Keep an eye on her."

"I won't let her out of my sight," Naruto sat himself beside Sakura and the two shinobi fell asleep leaving Kakashi once again, awake to grieve over Sakura's treatment and to convince himself the pain isn't real.

* * *

"Dammit!" Kakashi slammed his fist against the wall and held his face in his hands. His fingers gripped the stone walls pulling him up. Gasping for air, he tried not to make to much noise that would disturb the sleeping teens.

He had broken out into sweat and severe headache that impaired his vision. Kakashi's body was fighting the fever from the infection and he wished he hadn't sacrificed his only shirt to keep Naruto warm. He came to the bars that held all of them in. The pain was so intense that his grip on the metal made it bend.

"I can't take it anymore," he said to himself. Kakashi put his forehead against the bars and drew down his mask. He coughed lightly; blood… "Shit," he wiped his mouth off with the back of his hand.

"Kakashi?" A voice called.

"Go back to sleep Sakura," he said.

"Are you alright?"

"Don't worry about me," Kakashi smiled putting his mask back on. "It's you _I_ should be worrying about."

"Are you sure?" Sakura asked from across the room.

"Yes," Kakashi put a hand on his hip hiding the oozing gash.

"Okay…" Sakura went back to sleep.

Kakashi watched them sleep, watched their youth fade away…watched as they aged in soul, and fought for their lives.

"What have I done…?"

* * *

**Ooooo...what will happen next? Dun dun dun! Review pwease!**


	11. You Stink!

**Please don't turn into a Mikobu or Kizu...they're bad fictional characters...PLEASE! I don't want to be responsible for the next serial killer...**

* * *

"Naruto, get me some water!"

"Okay, I'm on it! Urg, there's no water left. We'll have to wait until the guard comes and brings us some."

"How could you let this get out of control like this?"

"I'm sorry Sakura, but he never complained about it!"

* * *

"Lee, hey wake up!" 

"Gai, he's not moving."

"I know that Neji! Shikamaru, please get me some water."

"I'm sorry but there's none left."

"Neji, we have to get him up before the day starts."

* * *

"Quick Naruto, before they come!" 

"What do you want me to do, summon water magically?"

"Naruto, think of something, he could die any minute now!"

* * *

"Come on Lee, snap to!" 

"If we don't get him up in time, they'll have his head!"

"Neji, Shikamaru, try to get through to him."

"Why can't you?"

"Because I have to keep look out!"

* * *

"Come on Kakashi stay with me, I'm almost done..." 

"Sakura hurry I hear them coming!"

"I'm going as fast as I can!"

* * *

"They're coming, you better wake him up!" 

"Neji, hold him on his side and scream in his ear!"

"I'm not screaming then they'll know what we're up to!"

"Stop bickering and hurry up!"

* * *

"That's it Kakashi."

* * *

"Come on Lee."

* * *

The steps became louder, the head more visible, the water more real. 

"You three look absolutely cheeky today," the guard smirked shoving the water jug through the bars. He noticed the blood spattered on the floor. "Somebody try to take their life? In your situation I'd do anything to escape this hell...hehe...drink up, someone will be here in ten minutes." He walked back down the hallway. Naruto and Sakura sighed a sigh of relief.

"Good job Sakura," Naruto said.

"I thought I wasn't going to make it for a minute there," Sakura leaned over and took the water. "Kakashi, how are you?"

"...I..."

"How come you never mentioned that you were in that bad of shape?" Naruto asked.

"You...have bigger things to worry about than-" Kakashi tried to finish his sentence but couldn't, his mind was too weak.

"Here, drink this," Sakura held out the water in front of Kakashi thinking he would take it, but he only shook his head.

"Kakashi! He's been like this the whole time Sakura."

"Don't you care about your life Kakashi?" Sakura asked.

"You two are more important..." Kakashi rubbed where his infection used to be. He had fallen unconscious during the early hours of the day and Sakura had healed his infirmities. "Thank you Sakura."

* * *

"Lee, can you hear us?" Gai gazed through Lee's eyes. 

"Come on Lee," Neji called.

"What the hell are you four schmuks doin'?" Their prison guard had come with their water. "Here's ya water..." He threw it at them practically spilling it and ambled away. Shikamaru, fortunately, caught just before it hit the floor.

"Thanks, asshole..." Shikamaru said under his breath.

"I need that water!" Gai sang.

"Oh, here," Shikamaru handed Gai the water who dipped his hand in it and flicked it into Lee's face, hoping to fully wake him up.

"Lee," Gai whispered. "Come on Lee, pull out of the darkness...you still have to find Sakura...the power of youth!"

"We need to escape Gai," Neji walked over to the moving stone. "Lee's obviously depressed; anymore of this and he could die."

"No Neji, wait..." Came Lee's tiny voice.

"Here we go," Gai encouraged.

"Neji, I am strong enough to pull through. We can hold out much longer I am sure of it! I will find Sakura, and we will find the others and leave together," Lee kept his stare straight forward.

"That's my boy," Gai smiled.

* * *

"Please drink Kakashi," Sakura pleaded. 

Kakashi's mouth was dry, yet he still refused any form of liquid.

"They'll be here in less than a minute...you drink..." Kakashi insisted in a monotone voice.

"Kakashi-"

"Don't argue with me Naruto!"

Sakura and Naruto were both taken aback by Kakashi's irritability, and did as they were told. They felt that this demand came from somewhere deeper than just crankiness.

As Sakura drank her share a thought popped up in her mind, but she decided that it would be better if she told them about it later that night.

"Hey!" A hand banged on the door. "Let's go, times up..." The man tied the shinobi by their wrists and led them away to a what seemed like a large mess hall. Before he left he gave Sakura a kiss on the cheek. Naruto gave the man a dirty look as he walked by; the man's answer, a fist to the face.

Kakashi stayed silent looking at the floor, bare back, as they were forced to stand.

Naruto recovering from the punch watched Sakura turn red with fury...that was one of the men who had hurt Sakura so far down inside, that the pain would never go away. It made him feel anger as well.

"Sakura, when we leave this place, I'll be sure to take that guy out," Naruto whispered.

"Hm..." Sakura nodded her head. "Why do you think we were taken to such a big room?" She looked around noticing that nobody else was here. "And we're unsupervised too..."

"They're expecting us to run away," Kakashi mumbled.

"Well then why don't we?" Naruto asked.

"Because we're tied up. We could, the door's right there..." Kakashi sighed. "I don't have enough strength to break the rope...I most definately wouldn't have the strength to fight through rested Star shinobi."

"Kind of weird that they would show us the way to escape," Sakura blinked.

"I know. Come on Kakashi! We'll protect you, I'm sure I have enough power to fight everyone off believe it!" Naruto said.

"You don't get it do you Naruto," said Kakashi.

"Huh?"

"We underestimated their forces last time, and look where we ended up, what danger I put you in...the plan was...well you remember it don't you?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah..." Naruto shrugged. "Kakashi-"

"No wait, listen...hear that?" Kakashi turned his head around to see another unfamlilar Star shinobi leading a troop of prisoners towards them.

"It's Gai!" Naruto gasped.

"Okay, now that everyone's here," Mikobu pushed through the slow moving line consisting of Lee, Neji, Shikamaru and Gai. "Let's get started."

"ATTENTION!" Kizu's voice came from nowhere. The prisoners stood straight.

"Now then," Mikobu examined all of them from a distance. "You smell bad...all of you...so bad that the stench is wafting up from the floorboards." The guards gave a light chuckle. "Therefore, you will all be taking showers today. I can't have a fellow shinobi come into this place gagging now can I?"

Shikamaru and Neji looked at each other rolling their eyes.

"Think it's funny do you? Maybe I won't let you take a shower then..." Shikamaru and Neji instantly looked back down at the ground. "Good...these two guards will show you the way. All supplies you need are in a basket next to each stall. You have exactly five minutes to shower, two to shave, if need be, and ten dress. New clothes will be issued to you. Sakura," a women in a red spandex outfit appeared behind Mikobu. "You will go with Aserta...that is all."


	12. Hello Aserta

"Kakashi, where do you think they're taking Sakura," Naruto asked as they made their way to the shower stalls.

"I'm sure nothing bad will happen to her…she's under the wing of Mikobu's fiancée."

"Wait," Naruto scrunched up his face. "How do you know she's his fiancée?"

"Well, I knew her at one point in my life," Kakashi shrugged.

"Did you date her?"

"No."

"Did you sleep with her?"

"No, I knew her Naruto; she was a close friend you pervert."

The wooden floor was cut off by white tile. The bright lights illuminated the mirrors and titanium sinks.

"This is where we're showering?" Naruto gaped.

"I guess, but I don't see why we'd get shower stalls in such good condition," Kakashi pondered.

"We stink right? So if we were to take showers in unfit bathrooms, the stink would still be with us!" Gai's voice chirped. He turned back and smiled at Kakashi and Naruto.

"Gai," Kakashi said. Both of the jonin eyed each other in that 'I need to talk to you as soon as possible' way.

"Alright that's enough! Disrobe and take what you need to the shower, NOW!" The guard shouted. Nobody hesitated, as soon as this was said the first shower had turned on. "Heh, filthy pigs…" The shinobi took his place outside of the bathroom by the doorway.

"What's your name dear?"

"Sakura…"

"That's lovely…I hate my name, my parents were crazy naming me."

"Oh."

"Hm?" Aserta raised her eyebrows and looked back at Sakura who kept her head low. "You know, I'm not Mikobu, you can loosen up a bit."

Sakura was confused by this woman's kindness. "Oh-kay…"

"Listen sweetie," Aserta brought Sakura into a room covered in lavender wallpaper, and a single bed covered in a white sheet. "I won't harm you in anyway. I could never do that to a fellow kunoichi. In fact no student of Kakashi Hatake will ever be mistreated while I'm around."

"You know Kakashi?" Sakura asked without thinking.

"Oh yes," Aserta said dreamily. "We go way back. We were very close friends; I don't know what happened, but for some reason we lost track of each other ten years ago. It broke my heart to hear he was here." She welled up a bit but laughed them off. "And so, now I'm going to help you escape."

"What?"

"You heard me…escape…"

"How can you…how dare you even say that? You capture us and torture us while Mikobu has his way with me, and then all of a sudden you want to help us?"

"I understand your frustration Sakura," Aserta went into a closet and brought out some fresh towels. "I've been gone on a year long mission. I just found out about this yesterday. Being Mikobu's fiancée you'd think I should know these things."

"Why not stop him?" Sakura asked.

"Why? My dear, he is ten times as strong as I. He could kill me anytime he pleases. Here are some towels; the shower is right through that door. I'll wait for you and fix up your bed and then we'll talk some more okay?"

Sakura took the towels in her hand. She gave a slight smile and wandered into the bathroom door—literally—and being very embarrassed opened it and closed it behind her. Aserta sighed and started to make the bed.

_Kakashi, how did you get yourself into this mess? The way you looked when you stood in that hall…it was horrible. Please forgive me Kakashi; I never knew Mikobu was this way. _A tear fell from Aserta's face and was absorbed into the white sheet.

Sakura was amazed. She had never seen such a beautiful bathroom in her life. Elegant trimmings and state of the art counters, this place had everything. But what was even more amazing was Aserta; how she knew Kakashi, that she was Mikobu's fiancée, and that she would help Sakura and the others escape.

She made sure to take her time in the shower. Sakura embraced every last water drop that fell upon her skin. The doorknob squeaked as she stepped out wrapped in a white fluffy towel.

"All nice and clean! Here are some fresh clothes. I didn't know your size so they might be a bit big." Aserta had laid out an all tan outfit on the bed, complete with fresh undergarments, a sweater, shorts and a tee shirt. "You change while I get you something to eat."

* * *

"Food?"

"Did he just say real food?" Naruto asked Shikamaru.

"That's what it sounded like…" Shikamaru nodded.

"Ramen!" Naruto clapped.

"Don't get excited Naruto," Neji said.

"Sakura is alive," was all Lee could think about.

"You completed your goal Lee," Gai slapped him on the back, lightly as to not injure Lee's now frail body. "Power of youth!"

"Yes Gai!" Lee grinned.

"Strange how they suddenly decided to treat us," Kakashi folded his arms. "New clothes, a shower, and now a full meal. Something's up…"

"Don't be a downer Kakashi," Gai said. "You got a brand new mask, and we don't reek!"

"Maybe it has something to do with that Aserta chick," Naruto suggested.

"Aserta chick…man Naruto, you sure are formal," Shikamaru said.

The shinobi now dressed in identical tan outfits sat themselves down at a long table.

"Kakashi Hatake!" A voice called from the far end of the hall. "Might Gai! You are required to come with me this instant!" It was Aserta. The fellow guards in her vicinity bowed at her presence. She had an authority over them that she used to her advantage.

Kakashi and Gai were pulled from their seats by two strong hands. "You heard the lady!" The guard was nervous as he brought the two over to Aserta as fast as he could.

"Took you long enough! Come on let's go," the guard tried to follow them but was met with a punch that sent him flying. "You best keep your nose in your own business!"

"Y-y-yes Lord Aserta…"

"Pick up the pace, I've got Sakura in the back room," Aserta whispered to the two ninja.

"Aserta," Kakashi smiled.

"Yeah?"

"It's good to see you again."

Gai looked from Aserta to Kakashi, to Kakashi to Aserta trying to figure out the connection between the two.

Seeing that the coast was clear, Aserta lowered her voice so only Kakashi and Gai could hear. "Listen you guys, I'm sorry this has happened to you, but I'm here now, and I'm going to help you. Sakura! Open the door!"

Sakura heard a loud pound on the door, and she swung it open. "Kakashi, Gai!"

"Hello Sakura," Gai greeted.

"We have no time for salutations," Aserta slammed the door shut to the lavender back room, talking in low whispers to Kakashi, Gai and Sakura about the escape plan.


	13. The Plan

"So you knew about the way out this whole time?" Sakura asked Gai who was triumphantly standing in the corner of the secret room.

"Of course I did. A shinobi must know his surroundings!" Gai said.

"Well I must give it to you Gai," Aserta sighed. "You are one smart ninja."

Gai blushed. "Aha, well you know…"

"A trap door, but why would they put it in one of the cells?" Kakashi sat on the bed next to Sakura.

"Not just 'they'-me!" Aserta smiled. "I never cared for this prisoner of war stuff, so I installed a trap door while everyone was away."

"Explains why our cell was so well kept," Gai nodded.

"Lucky you," Kakashi scoffed. "We still had a dead guy in ours."

"Oh Kakashi," Aserta whined. "I don't know why Mikobu would do this to you. He knows that the Leaf and Star village are allies. He's usually so nice…"

"I was surprised myself," Kakashi rubbed his forehead.

"Um, Kakashi?" Sakura piped in.

"Yes Sakura?"

"Do you know Mikobu?"

"Yes, I do," Kakashi closed his eyes. "Right around the time when I met Aserta. He was a different person back then. Kind, caring, if fact it was his goal to become the leader of the Star village. He was a hero, everyone looked up to him. To be honest, I was a little jealous of him for a while."

"But everyone was," Aserta said. "Mikobu…my poor Zenasee…"

"What on earth happened?" Kakashi finished the sentence.

"Come on you guys!" Gai lightened the atmosphere. "Let's talk about this escape plan!"

"Yeah!" Sakura agreed.

"I think Kakashi should go first," Aserta suggested.

"Me?" Kakashi cocked his head.

"I think that's a good idea," Gai said. "Look at you Kakashi! You're beaten up, exhausted, and on the verge of death."

"Everybody is Gai, not just me…" Kakashi mumbled.

Aserta playfully put an arm around Kakashi. "Don't be such a martyr! I assure you everyone will get a chance to leave, but you my long lost friend, need to leave this place. I would take care of you, but it's too dangerous. With the way Mikobu has been acting, he'll suspect the worst if you're suddenly able to stand for more than five minutes without falling over."

"As a medical ninja Kakashi, I can tell you all the reasons why you need to leave," Sakura jumped off the bed.

"You need to get your youth back! This way, someone can tell our village that we've been captured!" Gai grinned.

"Oh no please don't do that!" Aserta cried. "I'll let you all go peacefully, but please don't tell your village that Star shinobi have captured you."

"And why not? What of they pull this trick again?" Gai asked.

"Our village is small, and we don't have a lot of resources. Already we have had five different rogue ninjas attack our village this year. I was gone most of the time, and when I came back I was devastated. Our infrastructure is falling apart, and our army is diminishing. Any one attack can wipe us out."

"Aserta, why didn't the Star village alert the Leaf village of your problems?" Kakashi raised his eyebrows.

"Like I said, I was gone…I asked Mikobu the same question, and you know what he did?" Aserta stood up and faced the wall.

"Huh…?" Sakura felt remorse for this woman, this woman who had to live with this monster.

"I shouldn't be wearing this ring! This is not the man I wanted to marry!" Aserta fell on her knees and cried. "You will get out of this place alive! I'll make sure of it! That bastard will pay for what he did to you!" In her anguish she punched a hole through the wall revealing the inside of the bathroom. Standing up she narrowed her eyes and focused her chakra to her feet. "This is the plan…"

Gai, Kakashi and Sakura all listened intently. "Anything you want us to do Aserta," Kakashi said.

"At night, when the guards bring you your bread, I'll come to Sakura and Kakashi's cell. I'll replace Kakashi with a shadow clone of mine and disguise it, bringing the real person to Gai's cell. This is where you need to gather up all your strength Kakashi."

"Yes."

"Gai will be waiting in his cell, and as soon as we enter he will remove the stone off the trap door. You and I will jump down and land in this room. Another shadow clone will be produced as a diversion. This one I will take with me out of the room. Kakashi you will stay put in the closet until I return. By the time I come back, Mikobu will think that I have simply tortured you."

"Got it."

"The signal will be four knocks, we are going to leave through the window. You must run as fast as you can into the forest. Once you reach the border of the forest, you're safe."

Kakashi's heart raced. He was in such a poor condition that he scared very easily.

"You may tell the Hokage what happened…" this was hard for Aserta to say. "I will hide with the rest of the civilians. But you must promise me that you only kill Mikobu and the guards and leave the village alone."

Kakashi placed a hand on Aserta's shoulder. "Don't worry."

"I think they like each other…" Gai whispered to Sakura. Sakura giggled with Gai.

"I'll be right back." Aserta faced everyone now.

"Where are you going?" Sakura asked.

"Why, I thought that you'd be hungry." Aserta disappeared.

Kakashi smiled at Sakura and Gai. "Looks like we've hit a little luck!"

"Ha! More than luck! Love," Gai teased.

"Oh boy," Kakashi sighed.

All of them were in high spirits. "I haven't felt this happy since when we started the scary S-rank mission." Sakura laid down on the bed.

"Someone answered our prayers," Kakashi leaned against the wall. His sharingan which had been exposed for a whole month, had regained a little of its color.

"I bet you this whole shower thing was Aserta's idea too," Gai said.

"This room," Kakashi said. "Must be a guest room, and right now we're her guests. Sakura, you were paired up with a guardian angel." Kakashi laughed. "Sakura?"

"Shh…I think she's asleep," Gai whispered. Sakura was indeed asleep…


	14. Bury the Dead

**I hated writing this chapter you guys...I felt so wrong typing it...now and then I would think to myself, 'NO DELETE THIS!!!!', but I sucked it up and managed to get through...God is punishing me for such evil thoughts.**

**UGH!!!!**

* * *

"Sakura," a gentle voice called. "Sakura come on honey, it's time to wake up." 

"Huh?" Sakura's eyes fluttered open. Sitting up on the bed she stretched and yawned.

"You were a tired girl!" Aserta smiled. "I hate to break it to you, but it's time to go."

"Wait, did I fall asleep?" Sakura asked sleepily.

"Out like a light," Aserta handed her a glass of water.

"Where are Kakashi and Gai?" Sakura rubbed her eyes and looked around the room.

"I already took them back."

"Oh," Sakura sighed.

"Let's go."

Aserta led Sakura back to the cell where she was greeted by Naruto and Kakashi. "Have a nice nap?" Kakashi waved.

"Mmhm," Sakura nodded.

"Tonight Kakashi," Aserta grinned.

Kakashi didn't say anything—he caught the drift. Naruto was too busy talking to Sakura to care. The door closed and Aserta walked away.

The night went on…Kakashi became more fidgety as the moon made it to the top of the sky. Naruto and Sakura had fallen asleep side by side and the only noise that could be heard was the sound of their breathing.

It was passed the time when the guards were supposed to show up. Kakashi figured that it was because they had eaten a full meal that day. Aserta better hurry up—Kakashi was starting to become very tired…so tired that the next thing he remembered was waking up to a bang.

"Come on we've got work to do!"

Kakashi sat up in a panic, what had happened? Had he slept through Aserta's calls in the night, or had she not come at all? Naruto and Sakura were still in the cell, and Sakura was surprised to see Kakashi still with them. It was too late before she could say something about it. Many guards filled the cell and dragged all three of them outside.

There was no breeze, and the sun was blistering hot. A bucket of shovels was placed in front of them by Kizu, and Mikobu was not far away. A group recognized to be Gai, Lee, Shikamaru and Neji were being escorted opposite of them.

Mikobu spoke in a loud voice that echoed throughout the forest. The sand hit hard at their legs and ankles. The shovels were shoved into the shinobi's hands.

"Today's work! You're digging graves," Mikobu smirked. "Kizu, bring out the cart!"

"Right away sir," Kizu pushed in the middle of the group a stinking pile of dead bodies. The smell of the rotting flesh crinkled many noses, and turned faces green. Kizu couldn't help but cringe.

"There are exactly one hundred bodies in this cart! I expect them all to be buried properly," Mikobu kicked the dust. "I want them at least six feet underground; covers the rotting odor that comes out of them."

Shikamaru shuddered as a man with a missing eye and blackened arm was thrown at him. "DIG!" Kizu snarled.

They all separated into pairs—Kakashi and Naruto, Lee and Sakura, and Gai and Neji. Shikamaru was the only one who was left by himself by his own choice.

"This is horrible," Lee muttered.

"I know," Sakura frowned as the body that was given to them squished and leaked some type of bodily fluid.

Lee was the first to stick the shovel into the ground. Hours went by of digging under a sweltering temperature. No one dare stop their job. Kizu had his evil eye on the look out with whip in hand.

The first to start the first to stumble, Lee received a lash to the back, ripping his new shirt. His face was covered in sweat, and his hands were bloodied by the splintery handles.

"Lee!" Sakura helped him up.

"Thank you Sakura," Lee stood wobbly.

Kakashi and Gai were digging next to each other when Gai asked him, "What happened last night?"

"I don't know," Kakashi sighed wiping the beads of sweat off his forehead. Naruto looked up at him signaling that it was time to retrieve their body.

Out of all the people working, Shikamaru had buried the most. The cart was now half empty.

Few problems occurred during the day. The last body was buried by Neji and Gai, but Lee made the mistake of falling into their hole and was again whipped, except with more force than before. Sakura had thrown up once because of the smell that was seeping from various limbs, but luckily, no one had seen her.

"LINE UP!" the commanding voice of Kizu was heard again.

"Good job considering you're just a bunch of lame asses…" Mikobu said. "However I believe you missed one."

Kakashi and Naruto both looked at each other. "I do not understand," Lee said. "We have emptied the cart."

"You have a point," Mikobu's temper was raising.

"Not again," Neji said through scrunched teeth.

"And we are not lame asses. If you are so strong, why not bury them yourself!" Lee continued.

"Lee stop please!" Sakura begged.

"No let the man speak!" Mikobu stared Lee directly into his eyes.

"I have yet to witness your strength…and if you ask me, I think you are just a low life shinobi."

"Hm…low life huh?" Mikobu took his place back to the front yet again. "Like I said, you missed one…"

"You monster!" Lee shouted.

"Make that two!" Mikobu instantly through a kunai that hit Lee smack on the heart. Sakura stumbled backwards into Naruto's arms as Lee fell to the ground.

"Lee!" Gai called out.

"You cannot kill us…" Lee sneered.

"I'd like to see you try to live," Mikobu took Lee by the head and lifted him of the ground. A kunai in hand he punched through Lee. Blood spattered on Mikobu's face as he gasped his final words.

"We…will…sur-v-viiiiiiiiiiiiiiveeee…"

Silence filled the air. Sakura was shaking in fright. Gai and Kakashi were both wide eyed, and Neji and Shikamaru bowed their heads and offered their prayer to Lee. They seemed to be the only ones who remembered the rule first instructed to them on the train. 'If anyone dies, move on'.

"Ugh," Mikobu threw Lee on the ground. "Now I'm all dirty…"

Sakura watched Lee's lifeless body. She expected to see his chest rise up and down and for him to get up and give her that signature smile.

"You," Mikobu pointed to Gai. "You were close to the boy? You can do the honors of burying him…you too girl…"

This wasn't happening. Sakura witnessed murder for the first time on her life; murder of a close friend.

"And for the second body…Kizu, bring her out!"

Kizu pulled out a writhing bag from the building behind him. Kakashi breathed in sharply as the bag fell and Aserta was gagged and tied up by her hands and feet.

"I believe you know her Kakashi! Friends we all were at one point. We were going to get married one day," Mikobu rested his foot on top of Aserta's head. She just attempted to escape even more.

"Aserta, no!" Kakashi cried.

"But listen to this!" Mikobu said in an astonished voice. "She was plotting against me! WHAT A TRUSTWORTHY WIFE!" Aserta started to scream as Mikobu's foot increased it's pressure and he took out another kunai.

"Kakafee! Mmfph!" Aserta was propped up against the wall.

"Now my lovely wife," Mikobu said calmly. "I'm going to have to kill you." An evil glare lit up his eye as he took Aserta's life. The last thing to come out of her mouth was a chilling scream.

All were shocked…the guards couldn't help but groan…Mikobu was out of control…

"KAKASHI! YOU CAN BURY HER! AND GET THE BUG EYED ONE TO HELP YOU!" He left the bleeding body on the ground. Kizu pushed Shikamaru and Naruto away as Sakura, Gai, Kakashi and Neji were left to bury the dead.

* * *

**NO MORE DEAD BODIES!!! Please review this upsetting chapter... :'(**


	15. Quiet Sobs

"Lee," Gai embraced Lee in his arms. "Oh my poor Lee, what did they do to you?" Holding Lee so he could take one last look at him he wept. "You were a son to me Lee…" Two fingers closed Lee's eyes, and another hand yanked the bloodied kunai out of his chest. "Goodbye."

Gai gently rested his former student's body in the grave.

"Gai, we have to…" Sakura choked her words. Gai stood back up and dried his tears.

"Yes, we must," climbing out of the grave Sakura handed him the shovel.

"Are you going to be okay Gai?" Sakura asked.

"Lee's in a better place now. He loved you Sakura," Gai said. "When you went missing, Lee could only think about you. He already wanted to take his life, but he was holding out to see you one last time. He got his wish. Don't feel sorry for Lee, Sakura; you made him feel that it was alright if he died…"

"Lee," Sakura closed her eyes in respect for Lee. "You will never be forgotten." The wind seemed to whistle its sorrow through the trees.

"May I Sakura?" Gai asked. "I feel he would've wanted me to…"

"Go ahead," Sakura backed away as Gai tossed the first pile of dirt into Lee's grave. The appearance of the sand covering Lee's face drew tears once again to Gai's eyes. Without making any noise, he buried Lee as the water speckled the ground.

Sakura's bottom lip quivered. To see Gai cry was heartbreaking.

* * *

"Let's just get this over with as fast as possible," Kakashi said indifferently. 

"Hm," Neji agreed.

As they dug away in silence, Kakashi could not help but look over at Aserta every now and then. At one point Neji had to call Kakashi out of his stare.

"Neji," Kakashi said once the grave was dug deep enough over their heads. "Make sure you keep a close watch on Gai. Lee meant a lot to him…to lose him like this will strike him hard."

"Although I never admitted it, I kind of enjoyed Lee's 'youthfulness'," Neji sighed.

"Alright," Kakashi jumped out of the grave. "Neji, help me out here." Kakashi lifted Aserta's torso and undid the gag and rope that tied her together. Her limbs softly dropped to the ground. The expression on her face was one of sadness and anger. Kakashi put her back down on the ground. "I'll get him…Mikobu will be sorry he ever did this to you."

"I'll get her feet," Neji said.

The two ninja carefully placed her in her grave.

Thunder was heard far away; but of course the rain came first.

"Shit, we have to hurry!" Kakashi grabbed his shovel and immediately covered her with the soggy dirt. It pained him that he could not have more time to say goodbye to Aserta. After all these years of no contact and then to see her again…

"Kakashi! The rain is pouring down hard! This is as best as we can get it!" Neji shouted over the rattling tin roof of the prison.

"Ugh!" Kakashi slammed the back of his shovel against the floating sand in hopes of packing it in tighter. "You're right."

"HAND IN YOUR SHOVELS!" Kizu came over to Aserta's grave. "I really shouldn't be saying this…Mikobu had no right to harm Lady Aserta. She was a great inspiration to us all."

For a minute all three shinobi forgot their differences and let the rain pelt them as they paid respects to Aserta.

"Take us please," Kakashi said.

"Huh?" Kizu watched Kakashi.

"Take us to our cells," he repeated.

"Y-yes…" Kizu called guards over to take Neji and Kakashi away. "Aserta," Kizu spoke to no one. He stayed there for a moment's time. He served Mikobu, and with all the horrible things he had done, there was no going back.

Sakura and Kakashi arrived at their cell at the exact same time. Naruto who had obviously been grieving could not smile at them. Sakura went to sit down next to Naruto. Kakashi just stood in the same place, dripping wet, as the cell door slid shut.

"Kakashi," Sakura said.

"Yes Sakura," Kakashi answered.

"I'm sorry about Aserta."

Naruto hung his head. "Bushy-brows…and that lady…she tried to help us didn't she?"

"She did Naruto," Kakashi bent his head backwards in thought. "I want you to remember her. In all bad situations, there's always some good that comes along to relieve you of your sorrow if only for a short while."

"Oh Kakashi," Sakura exclaimed. "We're going to die!"

"Don't think that way," Naruto said.

"No, no," Kakashi went over to calm Sakura down.

"Yes we are," Sakura shook her head. "No one will get out of here alive! Not even me!"

"Sakura, you need to calm yourself down!" Kakashi said.

"You saw what that beast did to Lee, and Aserta! He tore right through them as if they were playthings!"

"That's enough Sakura," Kakashi hinted to Naruto to step in.

"I'll get you outa here alive. I made a promise to your mother," Naruto said.

"My mother will never see me again!" Sakura began to cry hysterically.

"No Sakura, don't cry," Kakashi pleaded.

"Why not? Gai did," Sakura couldn't control herself. "What gives him permission? We both lost a dear friend!"

"Please don't," Kakashi placed his hands on her shoulders.

Naruto let out a whimper as well. "Stop it Sakura, you're making me cry too!"

"Both of you! You're eighteen years old! Pull yourselves together! You don't understand what danger you put yourselves in by doing this! Gai was foolish to morn the way he did! NOW STOP CRYING FOR HEAVENS' SAKE!" Kakashi shook the both of them violently. This didn't do the trick…what did was the tone of sadness.

"Kakashi?" Naruto asked.

"No," Kakashi was shaking. "You have to control…your emotions…" Sakura saw that Kakashi was struggling with his own.

Guilt filled Sakura's mind. "I'm sorry Kakashi, for acting the way I did," Sakura apologized.

"…It's…okay Sakura," Kakashi ran a hand through his damp hair.

"Ugh! Let's do something to take our mind off of death!" Naruto suggested.

"Naruto now's not the time," Sakura whispered. She pointed to Kakashi who was leaning against the wall in the corner. Both of them swore that they could hear the sound of quiet sobs bouncing off the walls.

* * *

**Thank you for all those who read and review this story faithfully. You should know who you are: ) THANK YOU! **

**-Peace!**


	16. Happy Birthday

_Month two—_

"Okay Neji," Gai helped Neji to the single toilet in the corner as he purged himself of stomach acid. "There, there…"

Neji wiped his mouth off with the back of his hand.

"Are you finished?" Gai asked.

"Uh…yeah," Neji said.

"Here," Shikamaru brought over the jug of water. "Drink this."

"Thank you," Neji pressed the pitcher to his lips and downed the rest of its contents. As soon as the liquid came in contact with his stomach, he immediately rejected it.

"It's amazing how fast we're broken down," Shikamaru sighed.

"Neji, are you okay?" Gai put an arm around Neji's frail frame.

"Don't get too close," Neji coughed. "I don't want to spread whatever I have around…"

It started two nights ago. Neji woke up with an excruciating pain in his side, and was sick the following day. Shikamaru figured that it must have been food poisoning; their bread had been infested with maggots and who knows what else.

"Humph," Shikamaru crossed off a square on his calendar. "September 15th…it's almost my birthday. I'll be 19 years old."

"Heh, it's Kakashi's birthday…thirty-one years old…finally caught up to me!" Gai said.

"I thought he was already—"

"We round off," Gai smiled. "In fact, Neji and Sakura are actually nineteen. Right Neji?"

"I feel like I'm ninety," Neji held up his hand as if he was holding something. "Kakashi gave me something from Tsunade before we left. I've forgotten about it until know. I wish I knew what it was."

"You mean to tell you me that you had no idea what was in that thing?" Shikamaru asked.

"Hm," Neji pouted. "I never said I did."

"What do you say we sneak into Kakashi's cell…?" Gai suggested his mind obviously not in the current conversation.

"Excuse me?" Shikamaru shook his head. "Did I hear that you want to sneak into Kakashi's cell? That's a death sentence Gai…plus with Neji in his current condition, it'll be too bothersome to carry him or clean up his mess."

"Since when did you become such a—?"

"That's enough you two! It was just a thought—hoped it would lighten the mood a little," Gai stood up towering over the sulking shinobi.

Everyday Neji and Shikamaru were at it, and every time Gai would settle them down. By now both of them hated each others guts, and to be honest, Gai was becoming sick and tired of them. The only thing really keeping his head on his shoulders was Neji's recent illness.

"You guys," Gai started. "I'm going!"

"Don't act like a fool Gai," Neji snorted.

"Yeah, how exactly do you plan on getting to the cell?" Shikamaru crossed his arms.

"Through the trap door!" Gai winked.

"I'm sorry Gai, but I cannot let you," Shikamaru stood up and faced him.

"You will die if you go out there; you can't go," Neji stood on top of the door.

"Huh," Gai rubbed his nose. "Finally you agree on something." Gai sat down, his back against the wall.

Shikamaru and Neji looked at each other. They took pity on the older man who had yet to fully recover over Lee's death; all this bickering was wearing down on Gai's mind…they could see it in his eyes.

* * *

"Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me…" Kakashi watched a bird land between the bars on the window. It was the first sign of animal life since he arrived. Naruto and Sakura had been taken for labor by Kizu and he was all alone. Him and the bird. "Happy birthday dear meee…at least you won't judge me for singing to myself." Kakashi said to the bird. 

The tiny bird chirped and flew away.

"If Neji was here right now…a bird in a cage…or something like that," Kakashi's vision blurred, and his sharingan throbbed. The chakra depletion had been hitting him hard lately. "What have I been thinking this whole time?" Kakashi grabbed his shirt and ripped a long strip off. The shirt tore pretty easily which explained why Mikobu didn't mind that they were given new clothes. Flimsy and cheap...just like Mikobu.

"I should have done this a long time ago," he tied the fabric behind his head and covered his sharingan eye. Instantly he felt his strength come back to him. "Happy birthday to me…" Kakashi finished the song.

"To be or not to-to be!" Came a muffled voice.

"Huh?" Kakashi looked around the chamber…nobody was there.

"Zat is ze question!" Laughter was followed by this line.

"Hello?" Kakashi called out.

"Shut up in there will ya?!" a different voice scolded.

"Am I going crazy?" Kakashi got up from his spot. Kakashi waited for another sentence to come from the walls. "Hello? Is anyone there?" Kakashi shouted.

* * *

"Did you hear that?" Gai asked Neji. 

"Hear what?" he responded.

"I think you've finally lost it Gai," Shikamaru sighed.

"No listen…" Gai insisted.

"We were already yelled at once for being too loud!" Shikamaru rubbed his forehead.

"Hello?" Gai bellowed.

"Oh man how embarrassing…" Shikamaru grimaced.

"I think we should put him down," Neji agreed.

* * *

There was that voice again. "Yes?" Kakashi moved closer to the point of origin.

* * *

"See did you hear that?" Gai asked Neji and Shikamaru. 

"I don't believe it—"Neji gasped.

"That sounded like…" Shikamaru couldn't believe his ears.

"Knock twice!" Gai spoke to the corner of the ceiling.

"Brilliant idea," Shikamaru sighed.

* * *

"Knock twice?" Kakashi raised his eyebrows. "What the hell? Where does he want me to knock?"

Choosing the bottom of the wall, Kakashi knocked firmly on the wall.

* * *

"Ah a response! And it seems to be coming from where I talked to it!" Gai said to Neji and Shikamaru. "See, I'm still as youthful as ever!" Gai jerked his head back to look at the wall and it gave a loud crack. "Ow...ouch."

Neji and Shikamaru smirked.

"You are such and idiot," Neji muttered under his breath.

* * *

"If I'm not mistaken, that's Gai," Kakashi stuck his head against the bottom crack of the wall. "Gai, is that you?"

Kakashi felt the rock crumble away when he ran his hand against the cement floor. "Maybe..." Kakashi kept at the hole. He dug with his finger first producing a small dime shaped hole in the ground. "These walls sure are thin..."

* * *

"Kakashi? It's Gai!" Gai called. 

He watched a finger come through the ceiling and pull away. Dust flew into Gai's face. Examining the hole closer he fell off of his tip-toes when a grey eye suddenly appeared.

"Gai!" Kakashi whispered.

"Kakashi! Well now, it looks like we've been under each other this whole time! What a bithday gift huh?" Gai smiled and for a great moment, felt young again!

"Power of youth, right Gai?" Kakashi smiled and eagerness fluttered in his stomach when he heard the voices of Neji and Shikamaru greeting him from underneath.

* * *

**There's a lotta lines in this chapter...****Please review!**  



	17. The End Begins Here

"Listen Gai, I can't talk right now," Kakashi muttered through the hole.

"Why, is someone coming?" Gai responded.

"No not yet, but I'm afraid they will any minute now."

"Who's with you?"

"No one."

"Oh no…"

"Kizu took Naruto and Sakura away," Kakashi peered up to make sure no one was coming down the hall.

"Do you know what for?" Gai asked.

"Labor."

"How specific," Gai sighed.

Kakashi heard boots rattling down the hallway. "I gotta go bye!"

"Wait Kakashi—"but Gai was interrupted by Shikamaru.

"No Gai, someone's coming!"

The perfect moment for Neji to feel sick again! "Great timing…"

"Neji, hold it for a while ok?" Gai said as he discretely stuck a loose pebble into the hole.

"Heh, guess what we have in store for you today?" Kizu opened the gate and pulled Neji out by the collar. "Hope you like hauling ass…" Kizu smirked and slammed the door shut locking it tightly. Neji was green and pale, but he kept a straight face.

"Shit," Shikamaru clutched the sides of his head. "Could this day turn out worse? Oh man…"

"Neji is strong. He'll pull through," Gai said. "I could do another Shakespeare speech if you like."

"Huh," Shikamaru sighed.

"Listen Shikamaru," Gai's tone became very serious. "I know that you think that Neji is going to die out there, but he has something Lee didn't. As hard as it is for me to say, Lee had lost his self-control, and that led to his death. Neji has maintained his will-power and even though he's sick, I have faith that he'll tackle all of his problems with greater solutions."

"Guess I dread the thought of us being wiped out that's all," Shikamaru said. "Death is a very troublesome thing."

"You use that word too much Shikamaru! Let's try something positive!" Gai smiled.

"Death is a very youthful thing…"

"Okay maybe not," Gai laughed.

"That's what I thought."

* * *

"Naruto, Sakura, are you alright?" Kakashi asked. 

"Today was easy compared to what we usually do," Sakura said.

"They had us move big rocks from the border of the forest to the entrance of the building," Naruto explained.

"Yeah, but then this new guard named Resah had us move them to the back of the building where we had to stack them on top of each other," Sakura elaborated.

"How big were the rocks?" Kakashi asked out of curiosity.

"About the size of half the cell," Sakura said holding out her arms to show the size. "My arms are killing me! I don't know how they're still moving."

"What are we, slaves?" Naruto moped.

"Basically," Kakashi answered. "That's pretty big."

"They were a _**big**_ pain in my ass is what they were!" Naruto mooked some more.

"I'm so tired, I think I'll take a nap," Sakura yawned.

"Before you fall asleep I need to bring up something important," Naruto called to attention. "Why do they give us toilets in our prison when we get bathroom breaks?"

"…" Kakashi rolled his eyes.

"Naruto you…I'm too worn-out to crown you," Sakura said groggily.

"I guess you're too tired for me to tell you what I discovered today then," Kakashi said slyly.

"Yeah—"Sakura rubbed her eyes. "Wait, is it something good?"

"Mm," Kakashi shrugged.

"Tell us!" Naruto said.

"Well, I think I should show you, but be quiet," Kakashi motioned for them to get closer. He dislodged the pebble out of place.

The small stone clicked on the floor.

"Gai," Kakashi whispered. "Is the coast clear?"

"Kakashi is that you?" Gai whispered back.

"Yes."

"Okay then."

"Gai how're you doing?" Naruto asked pushing Kakashi out of the way.

"Is that Naruto?" Gai peered into the peep hole. "Why it is!"

"How's everybody?" Sakura shoved Naruto over which squished Kakashi more against the wall.

"Peachy," Gai said. "Neji however is sick, and he was just taken by Kizu."

"What?" Kakashi's eyes widened.

"What is it Kakashi?" Naruto asked in an alarmed voice.

"I think I just said," Kakashi gulped. "The power of youth…"

"Er…" Naruto and Sakura blinked.

"Ehem," Gai cleared his throat. "Do you have any idea what they might be having him do?"

"Oh," Sakura lowered her head. "Well, we had to carry boulders around. And it's hot out there. It might cool down tonight, but if he's ill, he'll be suffering."

"Even with two of us, it was hard not to collapse under the weight of the rock," Naruto added.

"And if Neji falls," Kakashi said solemnly. "We might possibly have another funeral. Is Shikamaru with him?"

"No," Gai said dismally.

"Keep us updated Gai," Kakashi finished. "Knock once on the wall and wait for a knock back."

"Okay," Gai concurred.

* * *

"WHAT ARE YOU DEAD? LET'S GO!" the new guard Resah shouted into Neji's face. 

_This is slave labor…_

"MOVE IT! DO I NEED TO STICK A SWORD UP YOUR ASS TO GET YOU TO MOVE FASTER?!" Resah whipped Neji on face leaving a stinging welt.

Neji paused for a minute trying to ignore the burning he felt and the blood he tasted running down his cheek and into the crevasses of his dry mouth. The swelling was already starting. The pain made him even sicker. He could not hold back any longer.

_Don't throw up Neji…no…_ It was too late.

"WHAT'S THIS? SICK ARE YOU BOY? I'LL MAKE YOU SICK ALRIGHT! TEACH YOU FOR THROWIN' UP BY MY FEET!" Resah taking no pity on Neji kneed him in the stomach. Even Kizu who watched close-by, flinched at the intensity of this strike.

Neji was in shock. He was stuck between lose of air, and of unbearable pain. He stopped as his eyes goggled around in his head.

"I DIDN'T TELL YOU TO STOP! NOW MOVE DAMMIT!" Resah demanded.

_I have to keep going…_ "Uh…" Neji grunted as he pulled the rope. It was all in vain. The boulder would not budge.

"I want to see that rock in the back of the building by tomorrow, do you understand me?"

Neji nodded.

"I said, DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?"

"Yes."

"GOOD!" He marched away towards Kizu. Neji watched as Resah asked if he had done a good job at torturing the prisoner. Kizu nodded and said he would take it from there.

_At least this guy knows what he's doing._ Neji had never been so happy to see Kizu glaring at him like he was prey.

Neji had never felt this way before in his life. He felt hopelss, and helpless and dispair. The pain kept him back, but his pride pushed him foward. His back was bent under the strain. Neji knew that this wasn't his destiny; no not to die here and now.

Hands bloodied and raw, Neji fell to his knees. Maybe he had moved the boulder a meter, but by the looks of the trail not even.

"I am a member of the Hyuuga clan," Neji said to himself. "An elite ninja, the best, better than the head of the family! I will not back down now." Getting to his feet he felt the sting of the whip once more on his back.

"Next time you fall down, you'll get five more lashes!" Kizu walked away back to his spot and watched as Neji went through the darkest hours of the night, and the early hours of the day, fighting for his life.


	18. Nightmare

"Stop…"

_They were running through the forest, shadows following them everywhere…_

"No, get away from me!"

_One down—_

"Please don't—"

_Kakashi reached for Sakura as her hand fell from his grasp._

"NO!"

_She looked up from the ground to see Kakashi die before her eyes._

"KAKASHI! NO YOU CAN'T!"

"Sakura, wake up! It's a bad dream!"

"No Kakashi," Sakura tossed and turned. Her eyes were open but she was still asleep.

"Sakura, Sakura!" Kakashi called for her.

"Kakashi…why?" Sakura cried.

"Sakura I'm right here!"

"Oh!" Sakura woke up. Her head slowly turned to face Kakashi.

"Sakura, it was a dream, I'm still alive."

"Oh Kakashi," Sakura fell into Kakashi's chest. "It was horrible Kakashi, just horrible."

Kakashi had comforted Sakura many times before, but never from a bad dream. He didn't want to sound like he was talking to a six year old, yet he didn't want her to think he didn't care. "Do you want to tell me about it?"

"Horrible," Sakura was pale and sweating. Kakashi could feel her whole body quake in fear. "It was you me and Naruto." She gasped at the vivid memory that came back to her.

"It's okay," he wrapped his arms around her.

"Naruto made it, but I fell, and you went to catch me," Sakura looked into Kakashi's tired eyes. "Then they killed you…it was horrid…" Sakura hugged Kakashi back. "I don't want you to die Kakashi…you're too important to me."

Kakashi's heart cried out to the girl. "I don't want you to die either Sakura," was the only thing he could think of. "But it was just a dream."

"A nightmare…did I wake you and Naruto up?"

"No, I was already awake," he lied. "Naruto was taken by Kizu very early in the morning."

"I hope he's alright," Sakura said softly.

"He will be."

Sakura continued to embrace Kakashi. "I'm scared Kakashi-sensei…"

"Sakura," Kakashi broke their hold. "I want you to look me square in the eyes."

"Okay."

Kakashi squinted his eye slightly. "I will always be here for you no matter what. No matter what happens. Even if I have one foot in the grave, I'll sacrifice myself to keep you alive. You've known me for that, and I intend to keep my word when I say to you, 'I will protect you with my life'. Remember when we went on our first mission together and Zabuza was using the Hidden Mist Jutsu?"

"Yeah."

"I said it then, and I believe I said it before we came to this disgusting place."

Sakura nodded her head. Kakashi blushed at an old happy memory.

"Even though you're eighteen years old—"

"Nineteen," Sakura corrected.

"Nineteen years old," Kakashi laughed as Sakura too turned red. "You still look the same when you were twelve."

"Huh?" Sakura looked at Kakashi quizzically.

"Adorable. And where did 'sensei' come from?"

Sakura flushed a deeper color. "Uh…well—" Inner Sakura fainted.

"It's okay," Kakashi smiled. "It was nice to hear that for a change."

Much to Kakashi's surprise, Sakura was cheered up from her traumatic nightmare. Inner Kakashi wiped the beads of sweat off of his forehead.

"Oh, by the way sensei," Sakura accentuated 'sensei'. "Happy thirty-second—"

"Thirty-first."

"Thirty-first birthday! It seems about right…your birthday should have already happened or is close by."

"It was yesterday," Kakashi explained.

"Hm," Sakura grinned. "Here's your present." Sakura held out an invisible box.

"Air presents…my favorite," Kakashi sighed.

"My dad used to do this to me," Sakura reminisced. "Well take it!"

"Okay," Kakashi accepted the box. "Thank you Sakura, I think I'll save it to open for later."

"In the worst situations, sometimes all you need is faith," Sakura said.

"Wow, did you read my mind?" Kakashi asked. "Wait, does that mean I have to give the gift back?"

"No," Sakura said. "Do you think Neji is alright?"

"I haven't heard anything from Gai," Kakashi folded his arms.

"You know who I wish was here right now?" Kakashi didn't say anything. He knew who she was going to say. "Aserta."

Kakashi's mind wandered. Aserta…what a lost name…what a terrible misfortune…

"You know," Sakura continued. "I have a funny feeling that she isn't dead."

"What makes you say that?"

"Well, for one, she's way to smart to be caught that easily," Sakura sat next to Kakashi. "And another is hope."

"Hope…"

"Did you love her Kakashi?" Sakura asked carefully. Kakashi thought about his response. It was hard enough to hear her name, but the question of love was awful. Honesty is the best policy, Kakashi thought to himself.

"No," Kakashi said in all honesty. "I did not have romantic feelings towards her."

"Oh."

"She was a very good friend to me. When I heard that she was engaged to Mikobu, I was delighted to hear that. They had a love affair going on for quite some time."

"Really?"

"Yup," Kakashi tilted his head to the side. "I was surprised that she wasn't married yet. I think ten years is a little weird to be engaged…" Kakashi thought upon these words. Ten years and still not wedded.

"Did you just have an epiphany?" Sakura asked.

"…No…" Kakashi dismissed the idea for later musings. "Anyways…I lost touch with her and Mikobu those long ten years ago." His voice died out dreamily.

Sakura rested her head on his shoulder. "You're a good story teller…" she fell back asleep.

Adjusting her body position so that he could sit comfortably, Kakashi waited for either Gai, Naruto or Kizu.

* * *

**This is a refresher people! Things are going to start gettin' ugly from now on!**


	19. I Remember Now!

"Neji, come on, you have to stand."

"Shut up Naruto!"

"Let me help you."

"I don't need your help…I can do this by myself…"

"Grr…stop being so arrogant! Do you want to get yourself killed? You're letting your pride mess with your priorities! Life first Neji, then your damn self-esteem!"

"Don't tell me what to feel Naruto."

"If you don't start deflating your big ego then you won't have a mind to **feel** anything! Now let me help you!"

"WHAT THE HELL DID I JUST SAY?" Resah cracked his whip at Neji who crashed back on the ground after he made it half-way up. "I NEVER GAVE YOU PERMISSION TO REST!" He turned sharply and walked away.

Naruto offered his hand again. "This is the last time I'll ask you to please let me help you up Neji…"

Neji lifted his head and glared at the outstretched hand.

"HEY KID, QUIT SOLCIALIZING AND MOVE YOUR ASS!" Resah yelled.

"That's what I thought," Naruto said as Neji was assisted back up. "Let's do this shall we?"

Neji took the rope over his shoulder and pulled as hard as he could. He had been there since last afternoon, all through the night, and now a broiling day as the sun peaked, Neji was still in the same spot.

Lightheadedness sent Neji reaching for the rock for stability. He felt his hearing become blocked, and he saw static in front if his eyes—two signs of low blood pressure. Neji ripped his shirt off in an attempt to stop heat stroke, but it did little good. Now he would just run the risk of sun poisoning.

Neji was no fool; he knew what comes next after low blood pressure. Every step became slower to stop the ground from spinning. He was so hot that he was cold, and even worse his initial affliction was tortured him inside.

The air was so full of moisture that he couldn't breathe. Stopping himself from moving he let his head fall to the side and his eyes close for a brief moment. They wanted to stay closed for longer than intended, his eyes, and when he tried to force them open, all he was peering out at was blurry nonsense. After blinking a few times he finally got a good view into the future.

Neji's right cheek had swelled up twice the size from the giant welt, and was black and blue and red. A sharp sensation swept his neck.

"I SWEAR BOY," Resah screamed in Neji's face. "YOU WILL NOT LIVE TO SEE TOMORROW IF YOU KEEP THIS UP! I WILL HAVE YOUR HEAD FASTER THAN YOU CAN BLINK!" He was pinned up to the boulder and a kunai drew blood from under Neji's chin. "You're about ready to die anyways…" He let go of Neji who swayed back and forth trying to keep his balance.

Naruto who was far ahead of Neji felt a hand on his shoulder.

"YOU HELP HIM, AND I'LL TAKE YOUR LIFE AS WELL!" Resah jammed the kunai into Naruto's thigh.

"Ah…" Naruto inhaled.

Kizu kept a frown on his cold hard face watching his student do his new job. He was still figuring out whether he was proud of Resah, or extremely disappointed. There was no in between.

"Neji," Naruto said. "You can get through this. I know you can."

"Shut up…" Neji burbled. _I'm being talked down to, just like a helpless child…Naruto did this to me once before, and there's no way he'll do it again._ With a loud grunt and a last spurt of strength, Neji strained his hands and heaved the large mass far enough to catch up with Naruto.

Kizu and Resah couldn't believe it. A beaten down and half dead, Neji showed power that pushed him to the end.

"Naruto," Neji panted. "I…I caught up…to you…" his eyes rolled back in his head and his legs gave out from Neji's weight.

"No Neji!" Naruto gasped. Dropping his rope, Naruto picked Neji up and leaned him against the stone. "Neji!" He slapped him across the face to get him to wake, but Neji was out cold. "Shit."

Naruto was sent flying head first into the stone. A loud crack was heard as Naruto's head began to bleed profusely. His wrist swelled up like a blimp; Naruto could not move that hand. Naruto sat unable to react as Resah threw Neji to the ground with whip on the ready.

"WHAT DID I SAY WAS GOING TO HAPPEN IF YOU FELL?" Naruto watched the whip come in contact with Neji's bare skin. Neji awoke with a scream. "TAKE THIS!"

The whip handed out blow after blow, not stopping a moment to rest. The snap was so loud that it echoed throughout the trees. Resah wasn't aiming for any particular place of the body. The tail hit anywhere it pleased. The bone in Neji's hand became visible from shielding his eyes. A final lash squished. The leather had embbeded into Neji's flesh.

Tired of the whip, Resah dragged Neji up by the hair and laughed. "HOW DO YOU LIKE YOUR REWARD?"

"Gah…" Neji spat blood and some flicked into Resah's face.

Resah clutched on his kunai and shoved it directly into Neji's abdomen. Kicking him down, Resah stepped on his face and yanked the kunai out. "I don't like your eyes," Resah scrunched his nose. "Never did. I can fix that easily…"

Neji saw the gleaming tip of the weapon target the center of the eye—

* * *

"Good afternoon Sakura," Kakashi yawned as Sakura looked up at him from her daze.

"Did I—?"

"I hope I didn't bore you with my old stories," Kakashi smiled.

Sakura went to fall asleep again, but felt where she was positioned. "You must have been so uncomfortable with me lying on you like this," she picked her head up from his lap.

"I fell asleep too," Kakashi stretched. "I never noticed."

"Oh," Sakura reached over for the water jug that stood beside them. "I'm parched! You want some?"

"Please," Kakashi let Sakura take the first sip. "Save some for Naruto," he joked.

"Very funny," Sakura bestowed the jug to him.

Kakashi sighed and pulled down his mask; drinking his share of the water he noticed Sakura looking at him funny. "Let me guess," Kakashi placed down the pitcher and put his mask back on. "All this time in a cell together and you have never seen my face. Sorry you had to see it now in this condition."

"N-no…well yes to the all this time part, but I didn't think it looked that bad," Sakura blushed.

"Hm," Kakashi smiled. "Thank you."

"Kakashi Hatake," a guard appeared in front of the gate. "Let's go."

Kakashi let the guard lead him out of the cell.

Sakura was alone with her thoughts.

She wished Kakashi was still there, but as every second drew out, Kakashi went further down that hall.

She thought about Lee...Aserta and her engagement to Mikobu...Naruto and Neji...and then, she remembered something.


	20. Shadows

"Mikobu wishes to speak with you," the guard kept his voice straight. No emotion; it was if this man was sad for Kakashi. "Therefore, we must properly prepare you. Our Lord is very fussy when it comes to people in his office."

Kakashi was just waiting for someone to pop out of the walls and attack them. There was this weird tension building up. He didn't know where it came from, but the guard felt it too.

"First I must give you these instructions," the guard continued. "You are to never speak unless spoken to. Address him as 'Lord' only…"

Kakashi cringed at this request. Already in his mind he was figuring out how it sounded.

"Most importantly, do not anger him."

That was a given.

"Ever since he went and killed that beautiful woman," the guard was talking of Aserta. "He's been downright nasty."

_You mean he wasn't before?_

"A lot of the hands had been executed recently for petty reasons. So you better do as I say 'cause I'll be the one taking the rap for your misbehavior!"

_Mikobu's so out of control he has his own staff frightened for their lives._

"I'm too young to die bub," the guard sighed.

Kakashi rolled his eyes. _They gave me the whimpy one…better than one that beats the shit out of yo__u._

They came to an intersection in the hall. Usually Kakashi was led to the right path, but this time he was taken down the left.

"Be sure to keep your eyes open during this part of the walk," the guard explained. "If you close them for just one second, you'll end up in a whole different part of the building."

_That's pretty cool._

As Kakashi looked around him, he saw the walls changing, almost melting. He had to do a double take to make sure he didn't see it bubble. Odd shadows were reaching out like smoke brushing across his face, arms and legs.

A white stone statue was lodged into the wall. He stopped to examine it; Kakashi caught glimpse of another statue beside it. They were both the same size, and both of young women. Looking down he saw numerous white figures. They were of men and children and of women and even animals. There must have been thousands Kakashi figured. As he made his way down the long line of nameless faces one sparked his interest. It seemed so familiar.

Ignoring the calls of the guard he took his time to examine it closely, when it struck him. That hair, those eyes, even the smile imprinted in the stone. It was Lee. Kakashi went to the next statue; it was Aserta.

"We have to go now," the guard pulled Kakashi's arm and he obiediently went along. "Don't let those things freak you out."

"What are they?" Kakashi asked sensing no danger in this person.

"Ah, he speaks!" the guard laughed. "Those are the remains of the people Mikobu has killed. I get the lucky job of putting those remains in those things. If you ask me, it's too much like a graveyard."

Kakashi paused once again to stare at one that by the looks of it had just been recently added. "Who's this?" he asked.

"That one," the guard thought for a moment. "Hm...I don't recall fixing that one up. Someone else must've done it." the guard looked closer. "Boy, it sure does look like someone I know...well knew..."

"I know who it is," Kakashi said solemnly. "I thought you said we were going to go talk to him."

"What are you talking about? Let's go, we're going to be late and it will be all because of you."

"No look," Kakashi pointed to the statue.

"Hm," the guard contemplated. "I don't know...well, let's go now..."

Kakashi reluctantly followed the man into the dark corridor. It seemed to only get spookier as they walked farther down. Soon, the lights seemed to fade completely. Kakashi's eye was beginning to dry out from keeping it open so long, or was it even open? It was so dark he couldn't even tell where the guard was. All sound was gone, no use on relying on smell. In fact, all senses were cut off in this strip of passage; even Kakashi felt he was floating.

The image of the staute that was burned in his memory haunted him. Every single feature down to the creases around his mouth were so similar, so much like Kakashi remembered him the way he was. But it couldn't be true, Mikobu was still alive.

"You must be very careful here," the guard chimed in. His voice was nervous. "If you make one false move, you could end up a statue in the previous hall."

"What's a false move?" Kakashi asked.

"It all depends."

"On what?"

"On whether they like what you do. Anything could set them off, you just never know."

Kakashi gulped. He couldn't see a thing, can't hear what's around him (exception being the guard); yet there was something watching the two shinobi, undetected ready to decide if they should die or not.

A icy breeze sent shivers up and down his spine and his hair flying behind him as they entered a small dungeon.

It was a room of emptiness, no feeling, nothing. Kakashi felt cold and hollow inside the farther they went.

"Stop where you are," the guard halted.

A low growl was heard and a fowl stink eminated from the ground. The room filled with fog and the walls dripped with stale water.

"They're coming," the guard faced Kakashi. "The best you can do is-"

He was gone. Like that, the guard had been sucked under. Dreadful screams and grinding bones were heard as heavy hot breath ran down Kakashi's neck.

It was too late to turn back; the only thing to do was to either move foward or stay where he was. Kakashi decided against both of those options and turned around to face what was behind him.

The putrid smell of rotting fish and flesh came from the beasts mouth or whatever it was. Not even solid, more of a shadow, yet there and real. The eyes glowed red, and slimy skin pressed against Kakashi's face as it sniffed what its next meal would be. Kakashi stumbled backwards when it snorted, and bared it's teeth. Feeling the floor for any possible dropped weapons he could use to fight against the monster, Kakashi ran a hand over another slick black shadow.

It was terror that made Kakashi get up and run for the exit of the room. Without any chakra to fight back, and no strength to protect himself, it was his only available option. However, another deformed creature blocked the way. All three surrounded Kakashi. He moved his head back and forth to keep up with every one's movements. The third that had blocked the gate burped up a head. The head of the guard.

_Maybe it's genjutsu...do I have enough energy to counter this?_ Kakashi tried and failed; it was not genjutsu. One of the shadows snapped at his feet while another tried to take his head. The guards dead film covered eyes stared at Kakashi. The gaping mouth hung loose and snapped off when the creature slithered over it. _I need to get out of here..."Close your eyes for just a second"...it's risky, but worth a try._

Just as the monster lept to make his kill, Kakashi disappeared.

The sound of flesh, the sound of a scream, the feeling of another and then the sensation of pain.


	21. The Sharingan Fades

**There will be many swears in this chapter...just so you know... : )**

* * *

"What the fuck is this?" Kizu pushed Resah out of the way. His face turned blazing red and his eyes were on fire. "You fucking pig! What the fuck did you just do?" 

"I-I-" Resah stuttered.

"You did what...this is what you fucking did...look at him..."

"I am..."

"I SAID FUCKING LOOK AT THE GOD DAMN SON OF A BITCH!" Kizu punched Resah across the face hard and sent him flying. "GOD DAMMIT!"

"My gosh...what the hell just happened?" Naruto said his mind hazy.

"YOU DON'T FUCKING MUTILATE OUR PRISONERS!" Kizu had Resah in his death grip.

"I was only doing my job..." Resah choked.

"YOU CALL THIS DOING YOUR FUCKING JOB?!" Kizu threw him on the ground and went over to the bleeding man. "Shit this is bad."

"My-my eye," the figure moaned.

"N-no, it can't be," Naruto saw the silver hair sprawled out on the ground. "Kakashi!" Naruto forgetting all about his pain ran over to Kakashi, a kunai lodged into his sharingan eye.

"Stay away kid," Kizu spat.

A hand crawled up to feel the cold metal. The good eye widened as Kakashi realized what had just happened to him. "My sharingan," Kakashi's heart fluttered and his breathing came in quick gasps. "Oh God! My eye!"

"Shut up!" Kizu ordered as he examined the damage done.

Naruto's rage was bubbling inside of him. So long he had kept the chakra of the nine tailed fox suppressed, and now he felt that it could burst out at any moment. He watched as Kakashi turned pale with panic and Neji's back bleed profusely, his spine showing in some spots from the skin that was taken by the whip.

"Master," Resah came crawling back. "Kizu, please forgive me." Kizu felt his feet being soaked with the tears of Resah who had a broken nose. "I'm not fit to do my job."

Kizu exploded. Not caring how he hurt his feeble student, Resah was lifted by throat; his feet dangling a foot in the air. "YOU FUCKING PIECE OF SHIT!" Kizu yelled. "YOU CAN'T EVEN SHOW SOME BALLS YOU FUCKING PUSSY!" Kizu's grip tightened around Resah's throat. "You ought to die here and now for what you did. You know Mikobu is the only one who kills the prisoners. We are only here to torture."

"But I was-"

"YOU CALL THAT TORTURE? THIS IS FUCKING KILLING THEM! GOUGING THEIR EYES OUT, AND WHIPPING THEM TILL THEY BLEED TO DEATH IS NOT TORTURE! TORTURE IS PLAYING WITH THEIR MINDS AND FUCKING CAUSING THEM PAIN! THIS PAIN IS DEATH!"

Naruto listened to Kizu tell Resah off. He saw the area around Kizu's grip on his throat turn purple and blue. Resah's eyes started to bulge out of his head.

"I've had enough of your bullshit..." Kizu clenched his teeth and squeezed as hard as he could. Clicking and cracking and a loud twang was heard as Kizu broke Resah's neck with his bare hands. Neji was unconscious, Kakashi was struggling to keep his mind sane, and Naruto was dying with hidden anger. Kizu crushed Resah's face with his foot and kicked him aside. "Take them to your cell." Kizu mumbled. "Pinky's a medic ninja right?"

Naruto was suprised by this request. "Yeah."

"Come on, I'll lead you," Kizu picked up Neji and swung him across his shoulder. "I'm doing you a favor. I should be leaving you outside but that asshole had to go and do this."

Kakashi was helped up by Naruto. The blood dripped down his face staining his shirt and mask. "Kakashi, can you hear me alright?"

"..." Kakashi was too upset by the lose of his left eye once again. He knew that this time, there would be no saving grace to replace that eye. Kakashi's life which he dedicated to training and perfecting his sharingan were wasted then and there. Naruto picked up Kakashi's arm and placed it around his shoulder for support.

"If I see one drop of blood on the floor, you're dead," Kizu threatened.

Naruto's heart sunk to his feet when he saw how deeply in the kunai had been shoved in there. He thought Neji was the one who was to be injured this way, but Kakashi had shown up from nowhere. It was when he saw the blood on his own shirt, that Naruto felt his own pain from his leg.

"I never remember taking Kakashi out of his cell," Kizu stated. "How did he end up out here?"

"He just appeared from thin air," Naruto said.

"Don't fuck with me kid," Kizu grumbled.

"I'm not fucking with your head," Naruto said with power. "He just showed up."

"Hm," Kizu backed down when he heard Naruto's confidence.

Naruto turned his head so that his peripheral vision wouldn't catch the glimpse of a kunai sticking out of Kakashi's head. It wasn't even a clean gash. Skin and muscle and eye were in all types of directions oozing out here and there and bursting from the sides of the impact point. The lens of the sharingan eye had somehow been pushed to the front and was hanging by nothing onto Kakashi's cheek. Gruesome gore that Naruto wished he had never seen.

"This is a pain in the ass," Kizu complained. "Now how in the hell am I going to explain to Mikobu what happened?"

"Naruto," Kakashi whimpered. "Don't lose control..."

Naruto bit his cheek. He wanted to break free and destroy the place right now, but with Mikobu in charge, it could be devestating and turn out the opposite Naruto wanted it to go.

"We're almost there."

Naruto and Kakashi lagged behind Kizu and Neji. Up ahead Kizu was fumbling with the keys in his pocket. The gate swung open and a gasp was heard. Soon after, Naruto and Kakashi made their way into their cell with Sakura leaning over Neji.

Kizu stepped over them and closed the door. He gave a sniff of disgust and trodded away.

"Sakura," Naruto let go of Kakashi and braced her for the worst. "You may want to look at him very slowly. It might scare you a little."

"Naruto, I've seen some pretty scary things so far, and right now, Neji's back is one of the scariest. See how the bone is protruding from the skin? He may not make it Naruto," Sakura concentrated her chakra as best she could.

"No Sakura," Naruto said. "Look at Kakashi."

Sakura looked up at Naruto and then over his head was Kakashi. "Oh my gosh..." she put her hands to her mouth. "His sharingan."

"Sakura," Kakashi muttered. "Take care of Neji first..." Kakashi drawled off and dropped to his knees. Kakashi wasn't sure how far the kunai had gone into his head, but it was pressing against something that made him pass out.

Naruto caught Kakashi, and Sakura left Neji for him. "Naruto, Kakashi is in more of a serious condition. The kunai could be sticking into his brain. I need you to make Neji as comfortable as possible while I take care of this."

"Yes Sakura!"

Naruto had never seen Sakura in her hospital mode before. It was like she was a different person.

"Okay Kakashi, this is going to hurt a lot," Sakura braced herself and pulled the weapon out of Kakashi's destroyed eye socket. There was no further bleeding, which meant all that was damaged was damaged during the first hit, and nothing else was effected but the eye only. A grave look come over Sakura's face. "Kakashi will no longer be able to see out of this eye. I should say that he has no more eye in that socket to see out of." Sakura again concentrated her chakra. Out of sheer determination, Sakura conjured enough chakra to heal Kakashi's wound.

She fell back from exhaustion. Out of drooping eyelids, Sakura saw Neji laying there ready to be healed. "Naruto."

"Sakura?"

"I don't think I have enough strength to heal Neji...you'll have to do it..."

"Me? But Sakura I have no idea how..."

"Just focus your chakra to your hands and imagine that you're replacing..." Sakura's head bobbed up and down to keep herself awake, but she ended up on the ground instead out like a light.

"Oh no," Naruto cringed. "I have to do this..."


	22. A Good Guy Afterall

Naruto's hand quivered with fear and determination. He had to heal Neji, there was no one else.

"Concentrate your chakra to your hands and..." Naruto gulped. A loud scream permeated the walls. Little stones from the ceiling crumbled down and dusted Naruto's hair. Kakashi and Sakura remained unconscious while Neji grumbled and moaned in pain. The noise was so loud that the floor itself began to cave in.

"DAMN YOU!" an evil sinister yell shook Naruto's body. The metal bars on the window collapsed and the whole roof fell down on top of Kakashi, Naruto, Sakura and Neji.

"Shit!" Naruto panicked as he felt the floor give way. He was falling. There was nothingness. All sounds disappeared as he watched the cement crumbled away, but it was too late, he was far gone into the darkness of whatever awaited him, whether it be death or another floor. The light was seen from beyond where he was.

* * *

"What the hell is that?" Gai jumped to his feet. 

"Oh no, it figures," Shikamaru said trying to remain balanced. The clanking doors shook so loudly that it hurt their ears. A crash was heard as the doors fell down and two guards came running down the creaking hallway.

"Come on let's go!" the first guard shouted.

Both of them looked at each other not knowing what to do. Were these guards offering a way out? Wouldn't they rather leave them in the building as it was falling apart? "Damn it!" The second guard covered his head as the rubble came down. He grabbed Shikamaru and Gai and bolted out the door. Shikamaru looked back at the cell they were being taken away from as it caved in and started ablaze.

* * *

"Kizu," Mikobu hissed. 

"My Lord, I was only trying to please you," Kizu stammered.

"Kakashi Hatake is mine and mine only! How dare you let one of your students attack him like that!"

"He came out of no where, it was not my fault that his eye was injured."

"Have you any idea the power the sharing an possesses? And now it is RUINED BECAUSE YOU CANNOT CONTROL YOUR STUDENT!"

"Mikobu, this is not you."

"Of course it is me or have you gone insane?" Mikobu narrowed his eyes and his once handsome features began to melt away under the ugliness of his soul.

"It is not I that has gone insane but you," Kizu stated calmly. He felt the earth quake under his feet, this power Mikobu was unleashing was destroying the whole camp.

"I'll have your head for saying that,"Mikobu fell down on all fours and let out a scream that created a sweeping wind. Kizu stood still not phased over the insanity of this thing that had had control over him for the past year, having him perform atrocities of all kind.

"Go ahead and kill me. I'm done playing your filthy games."

"What was that?"

"I have been under your spell for too long, and today it was broken when I saw an innocent man lose the one thing that made him feel he was important in this lifetime, go ahead and kill me, it will be a fitting end to a murderer," Kizu felt his eyes truly open for the first time in months, the haze he was in lifted from his mind and Mikobu, the leader he had respected had looked up to suddenly became a horrible beast, a monstrous 'it'.

"Then die," Mikobu leapt forward in a silver and black smoky flash. The blood stained the floor as the rumbling stopped and Kizu fell to his knees...dead... After all this time his servants had been fooled. Mikobu thought that his true appearance would never be revealed, that his secret would never show, but there was one man who eventually saw through the ruse. Kizu, a good guy after all.

* * *

**Oh wow! It has been soooo damn long since I updated this story. It'll take some time for me to get back on track for awhile so expect some short chapters like this. **

**-Peace!**


	23. Things

_"Aserta, I love you so much, I hate it that you have to go," the young man gazed into her eyes with a passion. "That beautiful red hair of yours will be missed."_

_"Oh stop it! And you call yourself a ninja Mikobu," Aserta gave a smile and blushed a little. "I'll be back soon, and then you can look at me all you want!"_

_"Yes 'cause I'm gonna marry you!"_

_"Hm, well it's better that you proposed to me first..."_

_"Huh? What do you mean?"_

_"You had some competition for a while," Aserta teased._

_"What competition?" Mikobu played dumb._

_"I swear sometimes you are the most dimwitted person I know!"_

_"Yes but I'm **your** dimwitted person," Mikobu embraced Aserta as the village gates opened._

_"Well I have to go," Aserta looked at the ground. "Promise that you'll marry me?"_

_"Duh! I'm only engaged to you for that reason...I love you Aserta, and nothing can break our love, not even if I die."_

_Kakashi turned his back on the scene and sighed. What on earth brought him back here everytime was a mystery even to him. He wanted to talk to Aserta, tell her his true feelings he had towards her, but he just couldn't do it. That was the last time he laid eyes on her before he was captured by that very Mikobu._

* * *

"No you can't, you can't hurt them, please..." 

Kakashi tossed and turned in his sleep.

"You have to hang on Sakura, Naruto, you can't leave me now...we're so close..."

It was a nightmare. Sakura had passed it on...damn her...

"Mikobu, what are you doing? Snap out of it...AHHHH!!!"

He bolted straight up and his good eye opened up wide, but it saw nothing, only the horrible scene that was happening in his mind. He stood up and clung to the wall behind him and jumped. "I'll escape, we have to escape, there's no more time..."

He was acting like a mad man running in circles, bumping into walls, but Kakashi could not wake up.

"Sakura...no..." he turned and his expression was one of horror as his dream saw her being sawed in half, Naruto crying at her dead feet trying to put Sakura back together. "Naruto," he called. Naruto faced Kakashi but his face was deformed and melting off. "I couldn't protect them...I failed you...I failed you...I failed you..." Kakashi repeated this over and over again as the faces of those who he had seen die in the past few months spun around him. Kakashi arms wrapped around the top of his head and his fists clenched his hair. Crawling over to the corner he pulled his knees into his chest and leaned his head against the foreign cold stone wall. "I failed you...and you...and you..."

A hand outstretched from the wall Kakashi was leaning against and slowly stretched his body out until he was laying flat on his back. He became silent; his eye was open and observant yet his soul was in another world, the dream, the nightmare. The shadows on the floor arose and creeped like spiders to Kakashi's side blinking their red and gold eyes. One of the shadows with both gold eyes embraced Kakashi and sat down at his side and looked at him; this creature was intrigued by his appearance as well as the other ones.

"Ah...kill..." Kakashi muttered.

The curious shadow was startled by the noise that came out of his lips. It looked up at its friends and whispered something in an odd echo. A shadow with one red and one gold eye with a distorted stride lifted one of its thin whispy fingers and pulled down Kakashi's mask.

"Ooohhaa," the gold eyed shadow gasped. Much conversation followed between the 'things' until finally the largest of the group confronted the still dreaming Kakashi. By this time Kakashi had been shaking and sweating and yelling out nonsense in his sleep. (((We'll call the creatures things, because they are just things))) The head Thing outstretched its arms an unusually far distance and placed its hands on Kakashi's forehead.

Kakashi gasped at this feeling. His exposed face twisted with the pain he felt at the touch: it was cold and empty and he felt as if his heart stopped. But the dream was disappearing and soon enough the pain went away and he felt a warm comfort arise in his stomach. His eye relaxed and the Thing's arms receded. The shadow with the gold eyes watched Kakashi as he woke up. All of the other Thing's had returned back into the floor except for this one who poked Kakashi on the nose.

Kakashi without even realizing he was poked stretched and yawned. He felt strangely rejuvinated, yet his empty socket still throbbed. He had time mourn the loss of the sharingan later, first he must figure out where he was. The golden eye Thing stroked his hair and Kakashi froze.

"Purrrr," the Thing let out as it continued to stroke his hair. Kakashi turned around and saw two golden eyes looking straight at him. It was a deadlock, not one dared to move. The other Things watched the two intently. After about five minutes, the Thing raised her arm. Kakashi gasped and backed away, but it grabbed his wrist with one hand and strokeed his face with the other. Although Kakashi could not see any other features if the Thing, it was the eyes that gave away its innocence.

Kakashi felt no harm in this creature, but still wanted to go. The Thing was started to poke and prod at his face. One of the whisps of smoke coming from the shadow made Kakashi sneeze which scared the Thing away.

"No wait, come back! Please," Kakashi stood up but was too lightheaded to remain standing. "I won't hurt you...please tell me where I am..."

The Thing with the golden eyes did not show itself again to Kakashi that day, however a small light appeared in the wall that allowed Kakashi to see his surroundings. It was just a plain old cell but he was all alone. He wished the Thing would come back, he felt comfort when near it.

* * *

**The Things will be very important later on so I might as well introduce them now then later. Sorry for a short chapter:-/**

**-Peace!**


	24. Memories

"How the hell am I going to get out of this place?" Kakashi asked himself. He tried to peer out of the crack that let the light shine through, but it was too bright for him to see. Rubbing the spots from his eyes he tried once again to call out for the Things. "I know you're here...I won't harm you I just want to ask a few questions." The many times he had asked for the Things to reveal themselves, they had not responded. "I must be going crazy."

Not only was Kakashi going crazy but he had to go to the restroom. "Come on please show me the way out you guys!" he moaned.

A pink streak flashed before his eye. He let out a quiet gasp when he felt an arm loop through his. Quickly he pulled back and turned around to defend himself from the presence he felt behind him, but he ran into a wall. "Ow..." Clutching his head he made his way to the floor, his eye in excrutiating pain. Kakashi's hands felt for the cold stone under him and he sat down resting his aching body. The warm feeling only lasted so long; he was soon cold and began to shiver. His nose became numb with the feeling that he had just stood outside in the snow on a windy day. Kakashi's fingers and feet started to turn blue with the chill. His mask which held no heat in crackled and creaked and broke in shards. His quaking fingers picked up a piece of the cloth on the ground and he cut his fingertip from the sharpness of the frozen material. The air pressed against his frail body; his breath became visible and there was nothing he could do.

"I-it's s-so c-c-cold..." Kakashi curled up tightly and covered his ears with his arms. His shivers became violent quakes as the temperature dropped even lower. "W-why i-is i-it so c-c-cold...?" He was all alone with no one to care about him. Situations had arose in his life were he was alone, in fact he was alone no matter what. Never had a girlfriend, never really liked to socialize, so why should being alone now make a difference? I guess he wanted someone to be there when he died and listen to what his last words would be; to feel like he was loved by someone and would be remembered.

Kakashi was afraid to close his eye; maybe they would freeze shut, but he was so tired and cold. He began to see spots and flashes of color. The light had become brighter and a gusty wind started to blow.

"S-s-so this is w-what hell is..." Kakashi winced at the thought of hell; a place he never wanted to end up in. "...like...ugh..." His body was beyond the point of shivering, no matter what he did he was freezing and not once did he feel the warm sensation. His body was failing him, giving up. Kakashi felt his lips start to bleed, he felt the blood pouring down his chin only to freeze on his neck. Is it possible for something to be so cold that it starts to crack? But it was true...his lips were like a can; his very blood was feezing and his skin could not contain it anymore. "No, th-this can't b-be happening to m-me...i-it's a dream..." he gasped. "I-it's al-l a d-dream..."

The wind howled throughout the room and drowned out any sound that Kakashi could've made. A sucking wind drew his frozen head foward, and then his arms and soon his whole body was up against the wall spread out like he was in chains. The light cut through the dim room like a knife and a screeching noise eminated from it's center. Kakashi yelled out in pain from the piercing sound but the wind still drowned him out. He felt the tugging on his abdomen through the wall. Something lived where the light was, and it had no intention on making Kakashi comfortable.

Then it stopped.

So sudden.

There was silence.

Kakashi fell from the wall face first onto the floor. The blood on his neck thawed and ran the rest of its course. His lips did the same and continued to bleed. Feeling was returned to his fingers and feet, yet his head still pounded and his eye socket was filled with immense pain. Kakashi was no longer afraid to close his eye, and so he did as the light in the room faded.

* * *

"Kakashi." 

"Kakashi."

"Kakashi."

"Kakashi."

"Kakashi."

The voices came from everywhere; his name echoed in his head.

"KAKASHI!"

Kakashi snapped his eye open in response to this loud awakening. He felt as if he were punched in the mouth. The saying of his name at such a level of intensity made him feel like he was just electrocuted. His brain rattled and his blood pumped harder and harder and his breathing quickened with anxiety.

As his sight focused he noticed that he was surrounded in white nothingness. It was if he was floating on water. He watched as he moved his hand; smoke flew from him the color of his skin and created ripples in the air.

"Huh...?" Kakashi gasped at the motion. Slowly he turned on his back, a weird sensation. The whole 'room' seemed to spin with him, and his voice bounced off the walls. Kakashi took in the silence of the room. It was eerie, but something told him that he was not alone.

All of a sudden a rush of power forced Kakashi upright and forcibly pushed him foward into the wall, yet he hit no wall. He looked down at his feet which were indeed dangling in the air. Not only that, but he saw people; grey people walking aimlessly never touching each other. There were about one hundred of them walking around. His attention was then averted to what faced him.

"Kakashi Hatake," a hand outstretched towards him and gently stroked his bare face. Kakashi writhed in pain, but his body was paralyzed. The fingers on the hand backed away sensing this emotion. "Shh..." the female voice soothed. "Everything is okay." The fingers touched Kakashi's lips and softly wiped the blood off of them. "My dear Kakashi," the voice continued. Kakashi sweat from the pain he felt in his body. "I never would've thought that I would have to see you like this."

Swallowing the lump in his throat Kakashi managed to speak. "Who are you...?"

"Hm," the voice had a touch of laughter in it. "It's only natural that you do not see me. However you can feel and hear me...how long has it been since I last saw you? Over thirty years..."

"What?"

"Kakashi, it's about time that you go back. You're not ready yet...your friend Mikobu-"

"What do you know about Mikobu?"

"...this is a trap Kakashi, I am not real...at least in life I'm not real..."

"What are you talking about?"

"I know what happened, how Mikobu lost his temper and brought you to this room. I watched you this whole time communicating with the shadows. I am only a memory from your past, Kakashi."

"I-I don't even know who you are."

"Oh but I do. They've informed me well, your memories. Maybe this will help."

In front of Kakashi's eyes a small stuffed dog with a missing bead eye appeared. "That's my..."

"Woofles," the voice giggled. "I remember how attached to that thing you were."

That's when it dawned on him who the voice was; the only person who could possily know about his stuffed dog.

"This has happened to others Kakashi...Mikobu steals your memories and stuffs them behind a wall where you the prisoner must suffer. Fortunately he has yet to perfect the memory stealing technique so he only copied them. However, Mikobu knows this, but what he doesn't know is that we take on a life of our own."

"You're...how do you know this?"

"I don't know sweetie, or else I'd tell you. I just do."

"But-"

"Calm down," Kakashi felt the hand stroke his face again, but this time it caused him no pain. "You're so frazzled. I swear I do not know what I'm going to do with you! You get yourself into so much trouble. Just be lucky that this is the only time I'll be able to scold you once you leave the room."

Kakashi watched as Woofles floated around him. "It can't be you..."

"And why not?" The voice was taken aback. "I have every right to be me."

"...I barely knew you..." Kakashi tried to move but he couldn't.

"...Kakashi, it's time you get back to your friends," the voice was filled with sorrow. "It was nice to see how grown-up and handsome you've become. I love you."

"No, I don't want to go yet...what the-" Kakashi's voice was higher. He looked at himself and saw that he was also shorter and smaller in stature.

"Sorry honey, I just wanted to see what you looked like when you were five; cute as always. Your father says hi by the way. He won't talk to you in person. He's too afraid to see your reaction when you hear his voice, but he loves you too. Don't make friends with the shadows...if you stay in the room too long, your memories will be forgotten and will fade and you'll end up as one of them. Be glad I was able to save you."

The room went black.


	25. The Controversial Closet

**Okay dokey then...just watched Naruto Shippuden Episode 33 and now I'm ready to write. I finally have bainstormed enough so now the chapters are coming out like that!

* * *

**"Sakura wake up!" Naruto lifted the heavy boulder that was in front of him. He let the chakra of the nine tailed fox flow out of him which gave him the strength he needed to find Sakura in the first place.

Sakura had fallen in a small chamber seperated by a wall of short boulders, Naruto somehow managed to land on his feet unharmed, but Neji had not been located yet. Naruto had failed at his attempt to heal him, so it was crucial that he be found.

"Neji! Neji if you're here answer me!"

"N-Naruto..." Sakura called out meekly.

"Sakura!" Naruto ran to Sakura's side and helped her prop herself up.

"Naruto, what happened?" She coughed and groaned at the swelling of her arm. "Did you heal Neji?"

"Sakura," Naruto didn't know how to answer this and keep Sakura calm. "You see, well, it was kind of..."

"It's okay Naruto, go ahead tell me what happened."

Naruto gave a deep sigh and swallowed hard. He hated that he had failed Sakura. "I never was able to heal Neji. You were out cold, and so was Kakashi-sensei. The room collapsed and the floor fell through. Neji and Kakashi are lost." Naruto pushed the hair out of Sakura's eyes. "You have a terrible gash on your forehead Sakura."

"Come on, let's go find Neji and Kakashi-sensei," Sakura stood up wobbily.

"Eh, Sakura, are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine. You forget Naruto that you rub off on me."

"Uh...hahaha..." Naruto lept to his feet and put his arm around Sakura to help her walk upright. "And you forget that you rub off on me!"

"You're quite the nurse Naruto," Sakura swooned and fell forward. "Naruto, I can't walk...I'm sorry..."

"Here, get on my back..."

"No, I'll just slow you down."

"Don't be ridiculous Sakura, I enjoy your company," Naruto smiled.

"Well, okay," Sakura was hoisted onto Naruto's back. "Too bad we don't have Gai and Kakashi-sensei to race us."

"That was so weird," Naruto remembered how awkward that had looked. Two grown men playing piggy-back. "That's when Kakashi-sensei was first using his Mangekyo Sharingan."

"He had just perfected it too, and then he had to go and lose it" Sakura rested her head on Naruto's shoulder. "It's a shame we're all in this situation."

Naruto's footsteps was all that could be heard after Sakura said that sentence. The rubble and debris that had fallen from the upper level had conveniantly landed to create a path. So many thoughts were racing through Naruto's head: who was this Mikobu? where were Neji and Kakashi? how the hell was he going to make it out alive? As he became lost in his daydreams, Naruto accidentally tripped and fell causing Sakura to fall off his back and he skinned his palms, but that was nothing...

"Sakura, are you okay?"

"Uh...yeah," Sakura sat on her knees and brushed herself off. Her bleeding forehead had stopped and she just squinted in the dark room to try and see what Naruto had tripped over. "What happened?"

"Huh? Oh, my foot caught on something," Naruto felt the ground beneath him to find the object. "I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention, you sure you're not hurt?"

"Yes Naruto I'm sure," Sakura gazed at Naruto's moving figure. She had never gotten so emotionally close to someone in her life. Sure Sasuke was her one true love, but she was never able to find out exactly who he was. Naruto on the other hand was different; he held a certain spark that she admired and he had been such a great comfort to her during these difficult times. It was only after a few minutes after she felt the chamber quake that Sakura caught herself staring at Naruto intently, gaping all the while. "Oh, Naruto...I've been thinking..." she averted her eyes to the bigger pile of rocks on her left.

"Shh, Sakura, I think I hear something." Naruto placed his ear against a boulder and closed his eyes. A smirk crawled across his face. "Watch out Sakura." He clenched his fist and gave one grunt as he punched the rock into smitherines.

* * *

"I've got to find them," Kakashi moaned as he fell against the wall sweating and faint. He took a deep breath and wiped his eyes of the sweat that had trickled onto his eylashes. Gulping he pushed his legs harder, making them move. His body stood upright as he continued to find his way through the dark but he stumbled and landed hard on the floor. "Come on Kakashi, you made a promise to them...now get up and move..." Closing his eye and gripping the stuffed dog in his right hand Kakashi pushed himself up only to collapse back down. His knuckles throbbed and bled from the punch he gave the wall. In a last ditch effort to make it out of the room with the Things and memories, he had decided to break free using force, the only force he had left. This, however, brought Kakashi to a new path that was reasonably safe, yet his health was deteriorating. 

"Get up Kakashi," he told himself. "Naruto, Sakura and Neji are more important than you resting. If you have to crawl..." and that's what he did. Kakashi went on all fours and crawled slowly but steadily not caring that the small sharp rocks were embedding themselves into his skin.

Soon the pain became so immense that he stopped crawling and fell onto his side. Breathing came in gasps and blood had found it's way through Kakashi's eye socket making it impossible to concentrate on his goal. "I'm dying..." Kakashi admitted to no one. No tears welled up in the pools of his eyes, for it's hard to cry when only blood surfaces. He outstretched his right arm and brought the stuffed dog closer to his face. Using it to wipe the blood off of his face Kakashi left the bloodied memory to be forgotten as he made up his mind to continue to crawl all the way to Naruto and Sakura.

* * *

"Keep moving!" The guard shoved the butt of a rifle into the small of Shikamaru's back. 

"Come on!" The second guard practically dragged Gai by his hair to a small closet and pushed him inside. Shikamaru sooned joined him. "The both of you are to stand in here for the next 48 hours. If either of you sits, you will be killed...that is if you even survive in here; it's awfully small and with no food, one of you might get a little hungry." The door was slammed shut. No light was seen, no sounds were heard from the outside of the closet.

"Gai, what do we do, aw man, what a bother!" Shikamaru searched for the nearest place to lean against the wall.

"We do as the guard instructs. We have the will power to withstand this."

"They'll end up forgetting about us. They don't want us to survive."

"You my boy are too negative. Welcome death like you would welcome a brother."

"What? Gai have you completely lost your mind?"

"Me," Gai laughed. "No! Shikamaru, in this life, we all must die. It is inevitable...we die and our soul moves on whether to hell, heaven or in this closet only to become a ghost that haunts those who open it. Even those who don't believe in an afterlife all believe that we go somewhere when we die."

"Uhh..."

"I thought you were smart Shikamaru! The ground!"

"...I'm not a professor of theology..."

"Neither am I but it's common sense! See, I don't necessarily have a religion. Being a ninja it's hard to keep up with the rules and regulations of religion; another thing my rival has seem to come to live with is that he may not make it to his heaven because of the killing he's done, yet he keeps on believing. Now me, I do believe that there is a force that created us and is watching us, and when he gets bored with us, will either end our lives or will destroy the whole human race."

"You are crazy..."

"That's where you are wrong! What do you believe in Shikamaru?"

"It's too bothersome...religion is a joke, it's only a defense mechanism...there's no proof of any God anywhere..."

"That's crazy Shikamaru!"

"Fine I get your point..." Shikamaru sighed. Who would've guessed that he would be stuck in a closet with Gai discussing life and death. This by far was the worst punishment of all.

"Now Shikamaru, think about this, but you must see it from my point of view: God or whoever is out there must be having fun watching us because he has yet to kill us, or send something to kill us. Obviously we have made it this far for a reason, and if by any chance now is the time for us to go, we should accept it since that supernatural force did create us, and it's only fair for him to do as he pleases...this brings me to my next point-"

"Come on Gai no more controversial subject matters please."

"I'm just saying Shikamaru, that we shouldn't be suprised when we die."

Shikamaru stood in the darkness pondering these last words. "Gai?"

"Yes?"

"That is the smartest thing I've ever heard you say in my life."

"Haha!" Shikamaru swore he saw the glint of Gai's faded teeth (ego).

* * *

"Naruto! Oh my gosh Naruto is that who I think it is?" 

"It is," Naruto lept through the hole he had formed in the wall. "Kakashi-sensei!"

"Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura ran as fast as she could next to Naruto who was dead silent. "No..."

"Sakura, is Kakashi-sensei...?"

"Oh no," Sakura ran to Kakashi's lifeless body and checked his pulse. The warmth of Sakura's fingers on his neck made Kakashi more alert.

"S-Sakura?" Kakashi turned his head and choked back the blood that had made it's way to his throat.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto fell to his knees at the appearance of his teacher.

"No, who did this to you?" Sakura asked.

"Sakura...Naruto...I'll protect you with my life..."

"Come on Kakashi-sensei, tell me what happened." Sakura begged.

"I'll protect you with my life," Kakashi's eye rolled in the back of his head.

"Naruto come over here I need your help!" Sakura shouted. Naruto immediately appeared by her side. "I need you to transfer some of the nine tailed fox's chakra into Kakashi. I would heal him, but it would not be strong enough; I don't even know if I have enough chakra to heal a single scratch."

"Hm," without asking questions, Naruto placed his hands on Kakashi's forehead and forced chakra into him. Kakashi's expression twisted.

"Ah...I wish you didn't have to see me like this..." Kakashi apologized as his voice faded.

"Stay silent Kakashi-sensei," Sakura put her hands on his head and manipulated Naruto's chakra into his bleeding eye socket and to his heart which was beating slower and slower.

"All," Kakashi started with a gasp, "this time, I know you have been wanting to see my face. And unfortunately...the worst situation revealed it for you..."

"Kakashi-sensei," Naruto began. "You're going to okay."

"Are you hurt?" And with that, Kakashi passed out.

Sakura's eyes narrowed as she checked Kakashi's pulse once more. "He should be fine now. The healing properties of the nine tailed fox's chakra will run it's course. From what I detected in his brain waves, he was almost evolving into another person. There were signs of amnesia in the short term memory and a drastic change in linguistics. If you notice also, his skin was turning white. Completely white; pigment loss. The chakra should solve all these problems."

"Wait, what do you mean evolving into another person?"

"Almost an empty shell," Sakura said. "His blood was pouring out like no tomorrow, his vital organs were decomposing. He was alive, but dead. It was like his body was adapting to his surroundings wherever he was. We were lucky we found him this soon; any later and he would just become a thing."

* * *

**Ooooo...what's gonna happen next? Meils is playin' God. (((Just hope I don't get too bored with these characters)))**


	26. Dathan

"I cannot be caught...Mikobu is dead...no I will not be caught...I killed him...I killed Aserta..."

_"Who are you?"_

_"Your worst nightmare."_

"I captured him and held him here...I tortured him...I killed Mikobu...I now own this place, the prisoners..."

_"No get away, don't attack him!"_

_"Mikobu, that will do them no good..."_

"He told his servants to run...they weren't even servants...I killed them too...I brainwashed the others that survived...Aserta came home and I killed her..."

_"What is your name?"_

_"Hm...Dathan..."_

"My name is Dathan and I will kill you Kakashi, I will kill your friend, I will kill your students and most of all I'll take the girl as my prize."

Dathan walked across the floor, over Kizu's dead body and out the door. He marched outside and observed the forest and turned to the destroyed prison. "Hahaha...if the paranoia doesn't get them, then surely those amazing little features I installed will."

* * *

Sakura rubbed her arm as she felt it heal. Naruto had insisted on giving some of the chakra he possesed to Sakura. Kakashi lay asleep at her feet; she watched his chest move up and down and his emotionless face show the despair he suppressed. Kakashi's white hair had grown at least an inch since they were there so when it was sprawled out on the ground it made him look a little angelic. 

"Naruto?" Sakura called.

"Yes Sakura?"

"Do you want some help?"

"No Sakura, you stay and rest, I'll find Neji," Naruto responded.

"Um...Naruto?"

"Yes Sakura!"

"There's been something troubling me..."

"Eh?" Naruto looked up at her. "What is it Sakura?"

"Well, when Mikobu took me and abused me..."

"Hm?"

"I saw something."

"Okay, and what did you see?" Naruto asked as he pushed a particularly large boulder out of the way.

"I was going to tell you and Kakashi-sensei about it earlier but stuff happened."

"What did you see Sakura?"

"One day when I was in Mikobu's office I found his diary."

Naruto burst out into laughter. "A diary, a villian has a diary?"

"Well this diary contained some plans. I couldn't quite make out all of the markings, for they were splotched and scribbled, but what I did read was horrifying."

"Tales about his muderous acts?" Naruto brushed his hands together, walked over and sat besides Sakura.

"Even worse. It told how he had killed a certain leader whos name I could not read. Then there were plans about how to take over the Leaf Village."

"I betcha every evil guy has that smae plot in their diary's."

"No Naruto, this is serious. He told how he would murder every child, mother, father and ninja in the process. He told how he would kill Aserta and Kakashi."

"Kakashi?"

"Yes. Evidentally Kakashi's sharingan was very appealing to Mikobu."

"Figures..."

"It even explains your death, Naruto." Sakura's tone became more solemn than ever. "Yes you...how he would extract the nine-tailed fox from your body, cut out your eyes and make you suffer."

"...then why hasn't he killed us yet?"

"Because the rest of us got in his way. Now he's confused and doesn't know what to do, which makes him deadlier than before. Also in the diary it mentioned someone named Dathan."

"Dathan?"

"Mmhm," Sakura nodded.

"That name sounds familiar..." Naruto racked his brain for any memory of Dathan.

"Remember the story Kakashi told us about?" Sakura asked.

"He's told us a lot of stories."

"It was last year when he returned from that one mission...remember? He was practically dead."

"Oh yeah!"

"The man he fought was named Dathan. A week later when he regained consciousness he told me that he had been assigned a mission to take out a rogue ninja capable of taking out a whole army of ninja by himself that was planning to take over the Sand Village. Later that day when Tsunade was talking to Shizune I heard that Dathan had been sighted by a fellow Leaf Ninja who accompanied Kakashi on the mission. Naruto, I think Mikobu is Dathan in disguise."

"But it doesn't make sense!" Naruto clutched his head in confusion.

"Naruto, Kakashi told me that Mikobu, Aserta and him were all friends at one point. Aserta was engaged to Mikobu for ten years! You just don't kill your fiancee after ten years of engagement, you don't just torture your friend!"

"I need to think about this, I'm still confused..." Naruto stood up and walked back to where he was working to find Neji, but before he reached his destination, something caught his eye. "Oh no, Sakura! I found Neji!" Against a pile of rocks Neji was sitting with his eyes wide open. "Sakura!"

"I'm coming!" Sakura sprinted to Naruto's side.

"He's dead isn't he?" Naruto was straight to the point. Sakura walked over to Neji and examined him closely when his head began to move.

Sakura backed away as the head slipped forward and off of the neck and onto the ground. Naruto and Sakura stood there gaping staring at the headless body and the bodiless head. Neji's head rolled and stopped at Naruto's feet with it's eyes desperately calling out for help. Sakura cluched Naruto's arm and dragged him away from the corpse over to where Kakashi was. Both of them acted like they had not seen it, but they knew the truth...

Neji was indeed, dead.

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**Review please:-)**


	27. Things II

**People are gonna be droppin' like flies!**

**

* * *

**

It had been two days without food and water for Shikamaru, Kakashi, Gai, Sakura and Naruto. Neji was found dead, Kakashi had yet to regain consciousness and Gai and Shikamaru were due to be released. Already the prison was being rebuilt, if you consider a tent a prison. The new layout for the new facility was not as glamourous as it was once. A single tent with a blanket on the ground for a bed. There were no seperate buildings, no toilets or sinks, not even gates to hold the prisoners in. So escape would be easy right? Wrong. A barrier of chakra had been formed to electrocute anyone who dares to escape.

* * *

"Let's go." The closet door was opened and Gai and Shikamaru were dragged out. Both of them were pale and dehydrated. Dark circles under their eyes showed that they had not slept at all trying to keep each other from sitting. In a daze they made their way with the guard to the outside of the main building where Dathan was standing in front of them. His eyes were black and beady and his skin was white as snow. The handsome image of Mikobu had melted away completely. Long yellow fingernails and greasy long grey hair gave away the creatures personal hygene as being less than satisfactory. "Stand up straight!" The guard barked, and so Gai and Shikamaru faced Dathan for the last time. 

He approached them...

"So, we meet again. It's been awhile." The stench of Dathan's breath made Shikamaru's nose crinkle. "Did you enjoy your stay in the little room?"

Neither one of them answered.

"Where are your friends?" Dathan continued. "Shouldn't they be here to protect you?"

Their silence aggravated him. "Why don't you answer? Are you scared of me? Are you offended by my appearance?"

Shikamaru dropped his head towards the ground in exhaustion.

"Boy keep your head up when I talk to you!" Dathan half threw half punched Shikamaru across the face. "I see that you are no use to me anymore! You should die!"

"No, take me instead!" Gai said the wrong thing.

"What was that? Did I hear a sacrifice?" Dathan turned around and faced him. "Hm, the jolly green giant. Care to repeat what you said?"

"No Gai!" Shikamaru yelled.

"You can kill me, but leave the boy alone." Gai answered confidently.

"No Gai, you don't know what you're talking about!"

"Well it looks like we have two people who want to die, but unfortunately I can only kill one of you, so who's it gonna be?" Dathan put out his hand and a string of chakra lifted Shikamaru up into the air where he hung like a puppet. "I know, I have a solution! Nema, come here."

The guard that had led Gai and Shikamaru outside stepped forward with absolutely no expression on his face whatsoever. "Yes, my lord?"

"Find the missing four prisoners. They should be in the depths of the prison. Wait, make that three...I only sense three that are still alive."

"Yes sir," Nema dissapeared in an instant leaving Gai and Shikamaru to Dathan's wrath.

"I wonder who died?" Dathan teased. "Kakashi and Neji seemed like they were dead already last time I checked, but it could've been Naruto or even better Sakura..."

Gai clenched his jaw even tighter; he knew that Neji was in terrible condition. He had yet to find out what had happened to Kakashi.

"Why so silent?" Dathan moved his hand ever so slightly and sent Shikamaru flying into Gai who grunted at the force. "Your lives may be spared depending on who died."

Dathan walked around the two shinobi glaring at them deciding what to do next.

* * *

"Someone's coming Naruto, we have to wake Kakashi-sensei up and get the hell out of here!" Sakura scrambled to her feet. "Come on Kakashi, you have to wake up now!" 

"What do you want me to do Sakura?" Naruto asked.

"I dunno, create a diversion, all I know is that we cannot be caught. We need to find a way out of here first before someone catches us. Kakashi wake up!"

"Stay here, I'll be right back," Naruto went to run towards the footsteps, but stopped only to say, "On the other hand Sakura, take Kakashi and leave."

"I'm not leaving you behind."

"Yes, Sakura, you are, now go!"

"Even if I wanted to, I can't, Kakashi isn't awake yet."

"Well then pick him up!"

"I can't do that, I'm too weak!"

"Think of something Sakura, I won't create a diversion until you leave."

Sakura sighed and apologized to Kakashi before she slapped him hard on either side of his face trying to wake him up. "Wake up sensei!" She whispered in his ear. Naruto was becoming antsy, he sensed the unfamiliar chakra drawing nearer and nearer. He turned back to tell Sakura to hurry up but ended up sporting a dumbfounded look on his face. Sakura had resorted to straddling Kakashi and slapping his cheeks to wake him up.

"Sakura, we don't want to put him any more pain than he will be."

"I'm trying! Got any better ideas?" A groan passed through Kakashi's lips. "Huh? Kakashi?"

His eye fluttered open. "Uhh...S-Sakuraaaa...get...offff...I can't breathe."

"Sorry sensei, but you need to get up now, we're escaping."

"Where's Naruto?"

"Let's get up now," Sakura signaled to Naruto to start the diversion. He nodded and ran off to meet his enemy.

"No, where's Naruto?"

"There's no time to discuss that we need to leave now, to your feet."

"Tell me where Naruto is!" Kakashi's voice became aggravated as his body was picked up and placed on his two feet.

"Alright," Sakura put an arm around Kakashi to support him.

"Sakura...you need to tell me where Naruto is...we can't leave without him..."

"Naruto is okay sensei, let's get out of here."

"No!" Kakashi shoved Sakura's grip off and stumbled backwards banging his head against the wall. He clutched it in agony and began to 'freak'. "We cannot leave without Naruto, he'll die, die, die, die, die...we need to find him, he cannot go back there! He'll die and the shadows will eat him and he'll die..." Sakura gripped his head in her hands and looked directly into his eyes as he continued his paranoid ramblings. His eye was wide and fearful; what had he been through, Sakura wondered. Helping him up he stopped talking.

"Kakashi-sensei," Sakura began to walk. "Everything is going to be okay."

Kakashi shook his head 'no'. "Look, there's Neji...I wonder if he ever opened the thing I gave him? It was from Tsunade...it was a ring...silver, white, protection, bliss...I miss him, will you miss him too?" Sakura knew she was dealing with a different Kakashi. Something had changed in him, whether it be from the trauma he suffered, or he was possessed. "Gai and Shikamaru are dead..." Kakashi wouldn't budge, then his body began to transform and this transformation brought back the old Kakashi. "Sakura, don't listen to me...find a way out yourself...the darkness is consuming me..."

"Kakashi-sensei," Sakura tried to hug Kakashi, but she only cut through him like smoke. "You can't leave me now!"

"Sakura," his voice was distorded and then she saw him become a shadow, a Thing right before her eyes.

"I tried to break through to the light Sakura," these were his last words. "Find me...bring me back to the light...please..." His skin peeled off until he was nothing but a skeleton. Sakura watched on with horror as Kakashi squirmed on the ground, his bones becoming ashes and being replaced with black smoke, and the figure stopped moving. Slowly Sakura stepped over to him. The Thing lifted up his head and revealed one red eye; as Sakura moved to touch him, Kakashi drew back and darted away.

"No, no, no Kakashi!" She yelled out at the top of her lungs. "Kakashi come back! Don't leave me alone!" Then she ran. Sakura didn't care where, but she ran as fast as she could, past rocks and rubble, through the paths and twists and turns. She tripped and fell, panting she heard the voices of two grown men. Looking up to where the voices were coming from she saw a small crack of light. Sakura never wanted to, but she had no choice. "Help!" she screamed.

"What was that?" she heard one guard ask.

"I don't know."

"Please help me, I'm down here!" Sakura said.

"Okay, I'm pretty sure I heard something."

"Me too."

"Hello? Down here! I'm trapped!" Sakura picked up a rock from the ground and threw it at the crack.

"Huh?" The second guard saw a flash of pink underneath him. "My God is that the prisoner?"

"What are you talking about?" The first guard looked at where the second was staring. "Pink hair? What's pink hair doing on the ground?"

"Not on the ground below. Step aside girl, I'll get you out of there."

"No," the first guard grabbed the first's arm before he could free Sakura. "What if the boss catches us helpin' out the prisoner?"

"He isn't our boss anymore...that's not Mikobu," and he broke the ground and jumped in the hidden chamber, grabbed Sakura and started to head towards the forest.

"Where are you taking me?" Sakura asked frightened.

"Just be quiet, I'm going to get you oughta this place. My name's Ziah by the way."

"Okay..."

"Your friends will have to wait, I can only free one person at a time or else it looks too suspiscious," Ziah explained.

"Okay..." Sakura felt this was wrong, that she was escaping while the others are left in the hands of Death. "No wait..."

Ziah stopped in his tracks. "What is it?"

"Just bring me to where the others are."

"You're crazy, I'm offering a chance for you to escape!"

"It isn't right." Ziah didn't know what to do, should he listen to Sakura or bring her to the edge of the forest where freedom was so near. "Even if you do bring me to the forest I'll run back to be with my fellow shinobi. I would never abandon them, they would never abandon me."

"Just wait a sec here," Ziah put Sakura down. "You're passing up an opportunity to leave just to stick with your comrads?"

"Yes, because even though we are all different people, we are one."

"Those who break rules are scum, but those who don't help their friends are even worse than scum."

"Exactly, and that's why I must...stay..." Sakura's jaw dropped as she recognized the man in front of her. "Ka-Kakashi?"

"Yes?"

"Oh Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura wrapped her arms around him and embraced him in one big hug.

"Woah, hey," Kakashi awkwardly returned the hug.

"How did you...?"

"A little help with some friends I made. They're called Things; they help those who are stuck in the darkness. They were once shinobi llike us, most of them guards and workers but they were stuck in Dathan's trap and they stole their memories and soon they became empty shells, blending in with the shadows."

"Kakashi-sensei, that's why you made no sense...but the Thing that was you asked for us to bring it back to the light..."

"Sakura, you cannot help them or you too will become a Thing. It took a lot of will power for me to escape with my wits."

"But what about your eye?"

"My sharingan eye," Kakashi sighed. "Is not important right now. I know where they're keeping Gai and Shikamaru or at least where they are now. I saw Naruto on the way out. He was captured by Nema, a guard. As far as I could see, he was unharmed."

"Kakashi, how did you manage to get away with all this?" Sakura asked.

"The Things," Kakashi answered. "They healed me when I was basically dead. It was horrible Sakura...I saw my memories speak to me, then I started to walk around aimlessly, not knowing where I was going. All I knew was that wherever I was going was out and not in. My eye socket began to bleed and ugh...long story short, Things saved my life and allowed me to escape and still find you guys."

"What did you do when you got out?"

"Stole some guard clothing, read Dathan's diary and brought you some food and water."

"I'm so happy you're alive!"

* * *

**"Reunited and it feels so good!"**


	28. TEMPORARY RANDOM CHAPTER!

**Melson Wheels: Okay folks, here we are in the middle of the story.**

**Sakura: The very depressing story...**

**Lee: I still cannot believe you killed me first.**

**Sakura's Mom: Do I get any more lines?**

**Kakashi: Why do you like to torture me?**

**Gai: Was that some kind of joke putting me in a closet and then having me come out?**

**Shikamaru: What a bother...can't you guys just shut up and relax?**

**Naruto: Hey guys what's going on?**

**Melson Wheels: Do you have any complaints Naruto?**

**Naruto: Umm...nooo...**

**Neji: Hey, how was my dead guy impersonation?**

**Sakura: It was really good Neji!**

**Kakashi: Why exactly are we having this meeting?**

**Melson Wheels: Well I thought it would be nice to kind of take a break for a while. You guys have been really good, putting up with all this angsty nonsense.**

**Gai: Power of youth!**

**Lee: I took over on lights!**

**Gai: Power of youth!**

**Lee: I took over the world!**

**Gai: Power of youth!**

**Melson Wheels: Okay you guys, we do have one big situation! It pertains to Kakashi's book...**

**silence**

**Melson Wheels: Ahem...does anyone know where it is?**

**silence**

**Kakashi: It's no use Amelia...I'll never get it back...**

**Melson Wheels: I guess I'm just gonna have to write in a new one for you then.**

**Kakashi: You can do that?**

**Melson Wheels: Pft, of course I can, I'm the writer.**

**Kakashi: Sweet thanks!**


	29. Tricked

**

* * *

Wow, how long has it been?**

**

* * *

**

Kakashi stumbled foward and gave a light cough.

"Sensei!"

"No Sakura," Kakashi raised his hand up to stop Sakura. "Here take this," reaching into a bag, Kakashi pulled out some fresh bread wrapped in a checkered cloth and a cantine filled with water. "Please, eat...here's what you have to do."

Sakura leaned in closer to hear Kakashi's faint instructions. "I'm listening sensei."

"When you are done eating and drinking, I want you to go back to where I found you. Run as fast as you can, I don't care if anybody is holding you back, I want you to just keep running. Do you understand?"

"Mm hm."

"Good," Kakashi looked around to see if anybody was coming. "Once you get there, stay there and pull down on the guards arms. He's a dummy I set up; this action will teleport you to where Shikamaru and Gai are...I took Dathan's trap and made it my own with the help with the Things. If touched it brings you directly to the creator."

"But, what about you?"

"Don't question please Sakura. Now once you are with Dathan, do not talk to him. He'll ask you questions, he'll make you scream out in pain, but do NOT talk to him!"

"Why?"

"Shh Sakura! Believe me, in the form he is in now, it's best you keep quiet. I've delt with him this way before; he can program your voice to kill whomever he pleases, so DO NOT TALK! He expects you to kill either Gai or Shikamaru...huh..." there was a thud, Kakashi's eye became wide. "Aah...run...Sakura..." a squish was heard as a kunai was removed from his back and he fell to the side. Sakura was awestruck.

"Sakura!"

Without thinking, Sakura followed Kakashi's instructions and started to run.

"No Sakura, don't go there!" A voice called out, but Ssakura was halfway to the dummy and had no intentions of stopping.

"Shit! SAKURA!" Kakashi cried. In his frustration he kicked the doppelganger and as fast as his body would allow him, and started towards Shikamaru and Gai. "I have to make it before she does."

* * *

_"If she escapes, the forest will surely kill her; if she eats and drinks, the poison will kill her, and if she stays under the ground, she'll be mine."_

_"Dathan, you are too much," Nema picked up a glass of wine and both of them raised their glasses to a toast. "What are we toasting to?"_

_"I guess you could say the beginning of a new reign and the end of my biggest threat." Taking a large gulp from his wine glass, Dathan then wiped off his mouth using the back of his hand._

_Kakashi silently listened from the creak of the door making sure his breathing stay silent as possible._

_"You know Nema, when I first laid eyes on Aserta, I knew she'd be mine...but there was one thing lying in my way."_

_"Mikobu?"_

_"No you idiot! Mikobu was a ninja in love and was only engaged to Aserta."_

_"Well don't you think that love can drive someone to kill their enemy?"_

_Dathan laughed. "You really do not understand do you? Kakashi is...was in my way. See, he couldn't have Aserta, so the next best thing was to sacrifice his life to save her."_

_"Looks like he failed at that task..." Nema took another sip of wine._

_"You know it is too bad that Aserta couldn't be a loyal wife. She was a pretty little thing."_

_"Damn straight."_

_"Kakashi in love," Dathan smiled a gnarled smile. "What a joke."_

_

* * *

_

"I'll give you a joke Dathan," Kakashi clenched his teeth in anger. "It won't be a joke when I fucking kill you..."

* * *

_Kakashi still listened biting his lip in frustration._

_"Then there was that incident with the Sand."_

_"Dathan, you worry about the past too much. Look at you now! You killed him!"_

_"Correction, killing him, and how can I forget such a stumble. I almost lost my life. It was because of the Sharingan eye too. Ever since then I longed for that power. But my jackass slave ruined it."_

_"It doesn't matter my Lord. You still exceed any power the Sharingan posesses."_

_"You make me feel important Nema."_

_"I only live to please."_

_Taking a moment to think about what he was going to say next, Dathan stroked his chin in evil delight. "How do you feel about the girl?"_

_"Who, Pinky?"_

_"Yes..."_

_"She definately makes a good toy."_

_"She is very nice isn't she?" Dathan smiled._

_"In bed yes."_

_Kakashi's face twisted with disgust; he almost lost his cool, but managed to settle down after the two sleaze balls in the office stopped laughing in cruel delight._

_"Anyways, make sure she does not escape. If she does, kill her. Plant a guard and a trap at each escape route."_

_"Yes my Lord," Nema bowed._

_Kakashi was about to leave, adrenaline rushing through his veins. _

_"Oh and Nema," Dathan kept his back turned still looking out the window. "Kakashi is still alive. By some force he managed to escape. He also decided to go treasure hunting, my plans have been read. We really need to get rid of those Things. Kakashi's in our presence now I believe. Kill him please."_

_"Of course."_

_"Shit!" Kakashi turned to run but was only confronted with brain washed ninja ready to perform Dathan's request. They came from all sides, and soon the door squeaked and Nema came crawling out from behind. Kakashi was surrounded, so there was only one thing to do...fight..._

_

* * *

_

"How I escaped, I will never know."

But Kakashi had more important matters to deal with; Sakura was headed to her doom and Naruto, Shikamaru and Gai about to die, or be seriously tortured. Kakashi upped his speed; his newly rejuvinated body allowed him to respond in a satisfactory way and he was thirsty for revenge.

* * *

**Oh yeah! I hope this clarifies those who have been lost. If you're still confused, let me know and I'll be happy to straighten things out for you. **

**-Peace :-)**


	30. The Last Attempt

**

* * *

Fate has a funny way of killing people at the wrong time.**

**

* * *

**

Sakura's legs kept running; pumping as hard as they could. Her vision became blurry as her breathing became impaired, yet, nothing could stop her. She must follow Kakashi's orders.

Little did she know was that the Kakashi who she was talking to was only a dead body guard used by Dathan to trick Sakura into falling into his arms. Truth be told, Dathan was deeply in love with Sakura...at least in lust. His body ached for her with every passing day, and every hour he could not have his Sakura, he became all the more deadlier. If Dathan couldn't have her, no one could.

What made it worse was that Kakashi was yet again in his way, but in Dathan's sick twisted mind, he felt the need to keep Kakashi around; to make the game all the more fun, more interesting, more of a game. The joy Dathan experienced by torturing his enemies made him powerful and full of insanity; Gai and Shikamaru were just toys, nothing to be taken seriously. In fact, Dathan could dispose of them anytime he wanted to, but again for some reason, something was holding him back.

"Your survival depends on the one who died..." those words rang through Gai and Shikamaru's ears. Who would be their saving grace?

To be honest, Dathan had no intention of sparing anyone's life that day, and if it weren't for a major distraction, both shinobi would be dead.

* * *

Shikamaru choked for air as a blue strand of chakra drew blood from his neck. His legs dangled in the air; never in his life had he felt so helpless. Gai was under a special genjutsu that made the victim belive that he was being chopped in half, and usually ended up with the person dying from mental stress. Even though Gai's face was blank, his body told a different story: squirming and flopping around as if Gai was possessed. 

Shikamaru, though dealing with his own difficulties, tried to his best to form hand seals to release Gai from his pain, but his own extreme pain would not allow it. The grip became tighter around his neck and the more he struggled the sharper it became. By now, blood was creating a red turtleneck collar. His eyes were bloodshot and bulging and his arms were becoming white as did his face. His ears leaked out red substance and Dathan laughed as his other hand raised to go up Shikamaru's nose.

Turning his head, trying to avoid the string of chakra, the grip on the initial piece of chakra tightened, and he gave up. Shikamaru squeezed his eyes tight as the torture device prodded his brain and the insides of his eyes.

Rain...how appropriate...

Slowly the sky became darker and Dathan's shadow only seemed more realistic as Shikamaru struggled with consciousness and fought against death. He would not give up, not yet. Dathan could poke and play with his mind as much as he wanted to, but nothing could stop him from surviving.

The sun was officialy gone.

The rain poured against his face. How good it felt to feel the cold rain spurting down on his hot face.

Shikamaru gently closed his gaping mouth and painful eyes. Dathan frowned at seeing his relaxation; the grip was intensified, but Shikamaru only winced...death had to come to all of them so why be afraid? Plus, something was up. The air became dense with anger and made his skin crawl; Shikamaru knew that this was a good thing.

Just as the calm before a storm, the trees didn't sway with the gentle blowing breeze and then:

"NO! PLEASE OH GOD NO!" A scream was heard in the distance.

"You let go of my friends..." a low growl was heard. A string wind of chakra caught Dathan's attention. He immediately let Shikamaru go and released Gai of his genjutsu. Shikamaru on the ground silently crawled using only his arms to Gai and started to ruffle his hair.

"Gai," Shikamaru sighed. "You know, you really are a genius."

A roar filled the atmosphere and shook the ground and a smash was heard as another blood curdling scream came from another shinobi. It was sacrifice to the beast.

Fire filled the sky and a red glow was seen in the distance. Kakashi's mind knew that something had gone wrong, that something was released and it would take more than convincing to stop what was about to happen.

"I SAID LET GO OF MY FRIENDS YOU BASTARDS! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

"EVERYBODY STAND AND PROTECT LORD MIKOBU!" Guards and shinobi were heard running from their quarters to behind the high pile of rubble left over from the initial destruction.

As everything slowed down, time stopped.

Kakashi's heart raced as he felt the surge of an unbelievable chakra.

Sakura paused only for a second to listen to the terrible cry of her friend.

Gai, lifeless on the ground was pushed aside by Shikamaru who had found the last weapon he had for his own use.

Dathan on the other hand, grew a foot and a red, purple chakra started spilling out from his body. The energy burned the dirt and sand at his feet until they had melted into two glass footprints. Pure evil...his beady eyes held the definition. Desire filled every crevice of his mind; the nine tailed fox at last. In his hand spun a black ball of chakra that emitted sparks and fire. "So we see the true Naruto now...guess who dies today?"

* * *

_"Shikamaru, I implanted a special device in my hair just incase we need it as a last resort on the mission."_

_"Gai that is the stupidest place to put something," Shikamaru sighed._

_"I think that it is a brilliant idea!" Rock Lee testified._

_"Come on you guys, Gai knows what he's doing. In fact, he created this little tool for worst case scenarios and it does work." Kakashi backed Gai up. "However, it is inferior in all aspects to my Chidori." He teased._

_"Exactlyyy--hey!" Gai fumbled._

_The team laughed; all except Shikamaru who made a mental note just in case he would have to use it._

_"Hey Shikamaru!" Lee called._

_"Hm?"_

_"Make sure that if you do use the poison weapon, you hit him close to the heart, and that it's for the sake of you and your friends lives!" Rock Lee patted Shikamaru on the back._

_"Yeah whatever, we won't need to use that thing."

* * *

_

All that could be heard were heartbeats.

One...

Shikamaru figured that he might as well go out trying.

Two...

Nothing was stopping him.

Three...

It was in his hands.

"NARUTO DIES!"

A deafening pitch was sounded--the kind that causes silence and no voices to be heard. Sakura flashed before Shikamaru's eyes; Kakashi made it in time to see the last attempt made by Shikamaru to free them of Dathan's evil.

"NO!" Shikamaru pounced foward, a poisoned kunai in his hand and scratched Dathan's arm quick enough to spare his life for two seconds and then--

"Shikamaru!" Kakashi gasped.

Sakura stood in front of Shikamaru who stood in front of Dathan. The only thing separating the two young shinobi was a little black ball of energy that burned a section of Sakura's clothing and ripped a hole through Shikamaru's body.

A smirk on his face, Shikamaru said his last words. "I killed him...hehe...death is such a bothersome thing."

* * *

**Mwahahaahaaaa! Fate strikes again!**


	31. Heaven or Hell?

**WARNING: This chapter is not for the faint hearted.**

_

* * *

_

Month four-

_

* * *

_

_"No, Shikamaru..." Sakura's eyes opened to their fullest staring into the souless eyes of Shikamaru. She examined his face, noting his features before they were cast away; his nose, his forehead, his lips and his expression...one of defeat and relief...Sakura did her best to remember his face, to create a mini funeral for him in her mind, to pray for his soul in the afterlife, but no one could tell...her own face was blank of all emotion, except for those eyes. _

_There would be no funeral._

_"Hmm hahaha!!!!!!!" Dathan grinned a foul smile and pounced upon the dead body and Sakura._

_"NO SAKURA!" Kakashi cried aloud, and running to her assistance, Sakura turned her head and the expression transformed into shock and dispair at the sight of Kakashi running to help her. _

_He was so close, but before his hand could touch the clothing on Dathan's back, they were gone._

_And so he stood._

_Kakashi had lost her again._

_His arm stay outstretched, the wind rustled his hair and all was quiet...nothing could be heard._

_"Sakura," a whisper escaped his pale lips. _

_Ignoring his moan, Kakashi dropped his arm and tripped over a mumbling Gai. Kakashi stayed on the ground on all fours clenching the sand between his fists; he mindlessly stood up. There was nothing filling his mind, Kakashi walked to the forest, the escape. "I have to get help...I'm the only one left...who can...stop him."_

_There was nobody there to stop Kakashi from moving he could have easily escaped, but halfway there his brain stopped his legs and a fire raged inside of him._

_"No," a sinister voice said. "No, I will not leave...I won't let my friends down...I will not be a failure...It's time I take action...I WILL NOT LEAVE!"_

_A burst of chakra flooded to his feet and Kakashi became a different person and he realized that the sinister voice was his._

_The empty socket filled with a bright white light and created a barrier that allowed him to see._

_The battle between Naruto and the other guards had ended; Kakashi knew that Naruto was victorious and that every ninja that had attempted to attack him were dead, but the thirst for blood arose in his veins._

_"From this day foward, I vow to kill anyone who stands in my way...I will stay until every last one of them is dead." A demon that could only be summoned by darkness of mind and fear was pulled out of his being and he exploded._

_The images flashed before his eyes; the Things...they had something to do with this rage. Kakashi shouldn't be this angry and twisted; he must pull through the small sane part of him left said. The gold eyes became his and he could feel his body transforming into a horrible creature of no memories, no rational, no understanding; the Things' rage and thirst for vengence had been given to him during the time inside the mazes of the prison._

_"I'm losing control of myself..." Kakashi fell to his knees clutching his head and trying to control his emotions. And then the intenisty stopped. The black flames that began to consume him bowed out and he became himself again, but he wasn't. That want for death was still there; he wanted to kill..._

_Slowly turning around he walked over to Gai and took out a kunai he managed to steal. _

_"Kakashi," Gai wimpered. "You've come to save me...that's my rival."_

_The gold in his eyes sparkled and the kunai found it's way into Gai's heart...three times. What strange things happen when you have been wandering without light for so long. _

_The chakra calmed and in a flash, Kakashi and Gai were taken into the new campsite._

_

* * *

_

"FUCK! What is this?" Dathan paced around his office scratching at his wound that Shikamaru had given to him a month earlier.

His arm had turned a gruesome color-a grey with spots of black and green; he was also experiencing short moments of paralysis in his arm and in his leg.

Every morning was a different story of problems he had been through the night before: trouble breathing, pounding headaches, bleeding through the ears, and when it was really a problem, his feet and hands would make a 360 degree turn by themselves which proved to be very painful and resulted in several fractures. Spasms occured frequently during the day and vomiting at night.

Gai's secret weapon was working.

"NEMA YOU BASTARD! GET THE FUCK IN HERE!"

Dathan fell to the floor as his arm went limp. Picking up his desk from underneath, he flipped it over sending papers and plans all over the place. The wine glasses shattered, the ink spilt over the rug and vomit seeped from the ceiling crevaces.

"What the hell is that?" Dathan stumbled backwards towards the window as he hallucinated snakes, spiders, and blood filling his room. "I can't see!" Everything went black. "Nema turn the fucking lights back on! Dammit!"

Aimlessly in a place he could see no traces of, Dathan stumbled over the debris from his desk incident and suddenly found himself outside.

"Mom, no don't please!" A young boy cried.

His attention was caught at the familiarity of the voice.

"Mommy! STOP!"

The boy was bloodied and beaten crouched down on the ground with tears running down his face. Next to him was a beautiful woman with her skull bashed in and her guts spilt out beside of her. Blood was everywhere.

"Stop pretending mom! No!"

Dathan watched on with horror as he saw a man with a butcher knife stroll over to the mess. "Fuck...what the fuck is going on here?" he asked himself.

"Daddy?" The little boy peered up. "No Daddy, why? Why is mommy acting? Make her stop!"

The man did not respond but only overshadowed the young boy.

"DADDY!" The boy cried with intensity; his blood stained hands pleading for some help up. "My legs are broken daddy!"

"My son..." was all the man could say and he dissapeared.

"NOOOOOOO! DADDYYYY! COME BACK PLEASE! DON'T LEAVE ME ALONE!" Hysterical, left with the dead corpse of his mother, the innocent six year old dived his little body onto the butchered version of his mothers and cried his eyes out screaming for life. "It hurts! I can't move and MOM'S DEAD!"

"Make it fucking STOP!" Dathan screamed; he gasped as the scene switched to a week later after the intial scenario. The little boy was once again sitting beside his mother, except now he looked more savage and more alone.

Dathan tried to escape this nightmare, but was stuck, his legs had given out as well.

"I'm hungry mommy..." the empty eyes looked straight into Dathan's. "What's for dinner mom? I haven't eaten or had a drink in a few days and daddy isn't home yet...he'll be back...he always comes back. You know that because every night he has to come and pay you back."

"Asshole, no!" Dathan tried to close his eyes. It was horrific: the dead body had begun to decompose and the smell made him green.

"I'm really hungry; teacher talked about cannibilism...how it's a sin...don't worry mommy...even if you are dead, I'd never eat you. The flys are doing that just fine." The boy's legs were black and blue from bruises and twice the size from the swelling. "I love you mom. I hope I can see you in heaven."

One week more...Dathan felt the change of time jump ahead. By now the boy was on the ground, basically dead, the body in the same place, covered in little clothes to keep it so the rain coming down from the roof would not dampen it, but a little boy's naive thoughts were proven wrong.

"Mom..." a whisper was heard. "I'm sorry...but I am really hungry...and there is nothing else to eat..." tears fell down his cheeks. "I don't think I will see you in heaven after all. I love you mommy; but not daddy...he killed you."

"NO YOU SICK FUCKING BASTARDS! CUT THE SHIT! CHANGE THE FUCKING SCENE!" Dathan cried out still unable to move; he struggled but could not stop. Protesting and shouting and profanities came from Dathan's mouth, and finally he got his wish: the scene changed.

This time another little boy was seen crying over a different body.

"Daddy...no...why did you have to do that?" Hiccoughing from the crying he had just done made his voice all the more sorrowful. "You were all I had left Daddy..."

"Where is he?" A worried voice came from beside Dathan.

"What?" Dathan looked up at the man standing overhead. The Fourth Hokage.

"Oh God...Kakashi!" The Fourth ran over to the little boy's side and tried to pull him away from his dead father. "Kakashi, come on, let's go, you do not need to be here."

Then all of a sudden, the young child Kakashi changed into a grown man fighting the Hokage calling out his father's name and struggling against the hold he was in. "Sakumo! Wake up! You can't leave me!"

"Why the hell am I seeing this?" Dathan squirmed uncomfortably.

Then all went black once more and Dathan found his way once again back in his office. On the floor, sweating and panting from the horror he had just seen, for once in over twenty years, Dathan felt fear.

He had just witnessed Kakashi's sorrow and his own horrible beginning.

"I won't see you in heaven mother..."

* * *

Kakashi had killed him...his rival...he had officially won. 

Those three fatal wounds had been committed by Kakashi's hands, on Kakashi's own time, by his own will. He had killed his friend, fellow shinobi and his sanity and now he was alone in the new prison. All day long he would rock back and forth with a crazed look in his eye. He had not heard from Naruto or Sakura since the day that she had been taken into Dathan's dying arms.

"Every last one of them..." he had a pile going. Only the brave ones would dare bring Kakashi his bread and water every day and most likely if you were in arms length of him, you would be killed. The only thing that was keeping Kakashi from the outside world was electricty and chakra, but other than that, he would throw a kunai into the ninja's neck and drag them inside, reaching ever so carefully, steal their weapons, and throw the dead bodies in the corner. All except Gai of course; when the two of them had been transported to the new camp, Gai was instantly taken away.

Kakashi's mind was being torn apart by what he was feeling. The vivsion of his mother was right...do not befriend the Things. He was turning into one of them, he could feel it everyday. The more he gave into his passion to kill, the more heartless he was becoming, the more he forgot where he was from, the more he was becoming just another empty soul. The temptation was so strong that at some points, Kakashi couldn't even breathe. Now while giving in felt so good, his heart split in two after the fact.

It was best that Sakura and Naruto were far away from him; it was for their own safety that they stay far away, but he didn't even know if they were still alive. Naruto had given himself up for a great distraction, and Sakura was at the mercy of Dathan.

In frustration, Kakashi stabbed his foot with the kunai in his hand. The blood poured out and how it looked delicious to him. "What are you thinking?" He wasn't, that was the thing.

"I need to get out of here. I need to break my own rule; early or not, I'm escaping this place, and I will take them with me. I need help." Kakashi rambled on to no one for five minutes before he realized that he was becoming faint from the blood loss. Looking up at the pile of bodies he had been collecting, Kakashi pulled the kunai out of his foot.

"I'm going to hell," Kakashi sighed. "I am going straight to hell..."

* * *

**I am going to hell for typing this. **

**Melson Wheels hopes you do not become a blood thirtsy killer.**


	32. Failed

"Let me out of this place now!" Naruto fought against the restraints of the cold metal chains. "You bastards! Let me the fuck out of here!" He had forgotten that Dathan or one of his guards could go in the cell and kill Naruto anytime they pleased. In a last ditch effort, Naruto gathered up all his strength and pulled against the chakra that held his arms back to the wall. "Come on, I can break these barriers..."

"Hey you little shit!" A guard came bursting through the metal doors and punched Naruto in the stomach; letting out a gasp, Naruto fell to the floor. "Try it again and you're dead!" And with that he left the cell again and slammed the door shut.

Naruto, on his knees, panted for breath that couldn't come. The cold metal collar had created various bruises around his neck and the chakra had weakened his hands. It seemed just like yesterday that he had been seperated from everybody all over again. He allowed himself the opportunity to release the nine tailed fox to create the greatest distraction of his life, but his body could not handle the chakra being spurted out; the healing energy only healed his wounds, but not the hunger pang that haunted him every night, or the worry he felt for Sakura. Naruto knew that Kakashi, wherever he was, could handle anything, but he did not realize that Shikamaru had died at the hands of Dathan and Gai had been murdered by his former sensei.

Isolation...torture...what was the difference...Naruto had made every excuse up in his mind to drive these guards insane and everytime he succeeded, the same threat would fall upon his ears, "Try it again and you're dead!" Never once did they kill him; Naruto was smart despite the fact that he had come off as a doofus; he knew what was going on...especially when it pertained to the nine tailed fox. Dathan was planning to use Naruto's energy everytime he unleashed the red chakra to gain more power; Dathan expected that Naruto would try to use this energy to escape, but Naruto knew better than to act upon emotion and followed Kakashi's advice: to keep the nine tailed fox concealed.

However, Dathan matched and exceeded Naruto's ability to figure things out, for those chakra cuffs sucked the chakra of the nine tailed fox out of Naruto a little each day. He could feel it too. Naruto knew that if he didn't get out of this cell, his life would be over very soon and so he tried again.

Outside of the room, Nema watched laughing at this boy's feeble attempts for freedom. There was no cell, no chains, no chakra, no guards...Naruto had fallen under a way too realistic genjutsu. Naruto was wasting his energy on a hallucination.

This room was located right across from Dathan's main office and was shut off from the world by a big glass window. Once everyday, Naruto was allowed food and once everyday, he was allowed to use the bathroom, all under the act of the genjutsu. The food was nonexistant and this sapped the life out of him when really Naruto thought that it was really the trap Dathan had put him under to think that the nine tailed fox's chakra was being drawn from him.

Nema's joy was only interrupted by a horrible cry for help.

"NEMA YOU BASTARD! GET THE FUCK IN HERE!" Dathan screamed. A loud crash was heard which alerted Nema that Dathan was in some sort of trouble.

"Oh shit..." Nema dashed across the hall and opened the office door only to see Dathan sprawled out on the floor dazed and in a state of terror. "Master!" Nema ran over to his side and bent down. "My Lord, what happened?"

Dathan's eyes rolled over to the side to stare up at Nema. A hand went up in a shot and grasped Nema's throat. "I want that boy dead. Do you understand me?"

"Y-y-yes...but how?" Nema choked out.

Sitting up still holding a firm grasp, "I don't care! But kill him! Make sure he bleeds..." With that, Dathan let go of Nema's neck and stood up. He brushed himself off and walked over to Naruto's prison. Hands behind his back, Dathan tried to get the images out of his head of the young boy eating his mother's dead body while thinking of a way to inflict as much pain on Naruto as possible. "Nema..."

"Yes?"

"What is Kakashi Hatake's status?"

"He killed two of our men today, and word has it that he inflicted some damage to himself."

"Why is it that he is doing this?" Dathan started to pace.

"It is the Things, My Lord. They release negative energy into the air when they become fully developed. This negative energy is the lust for revenge and anger the prisoners felt when they have become lost within the trap. Indirectly, this does not effect most people, but if a Thing touches you, this energy can be easily transmitted; this usually happens when a Thing attempts to heal you."

"Heal do they?"

"Yes...see...some of our ninja have sacrificed their lives to work with the Things. They can tell between good and evil and they live to help those in trouble [only if you are good however. When they do heal you, depending on the amount of negative energy you are given, the pain can vary from very little to immense."

"I see," Dathan mindlessly listened trying to change his mind set from one of fear to one of calm.

"The Things unconsciously make the person feel their anger and rage thus causing some people to kill themselves, kill others, become insane or in worst case scenarios, commit mass murders of anyone: family, friends, strangers. Those who fall under this category are the most deadly and start to lose their own sense of awareness and good judgment and they become a beast that must be killed once they reach the point of no return."

Dathan absorbed this information and sighed. "It is good to know that you are an encyclopedia Nema. Now Kakashi must fall under this last category..."

"He does indeed."

"Then why is he still living. Why haven't you killed him off?"

"Well, My Lord," Nema hesitated. "Our guards could not get close enough to do so. Those who have gotten closer have been either killed or have run away before Kakashi could kill them. To be honest, the smell of the dead bodies keeps our guards away."

"Tell me why we have such pussy servants?"

"I am sorry, but I cannot."

"Hm..." Dathan observed Naruto struggling for life. "Can Kakashi tell between a friend and a stranger?"

"I'm not sure. He was found over Might Gai's body with a bloody kunai in his hand-"

"That's right. Is it time to bring Kakashi his food?"

"As a matter of fact it is."

"Good. I want you to restrain him as best you can...bring him to the showers and let him clean up. Put him in the hold next to Naruto's."

"Master...?"

"What do you want? Why are you still standing here go and do what you are told." Dathan smiled and gave a sigh of relief. "I think I know how to kill two birds with one stone, and knowing Kakashi, he'll want to try to keep his sanity so he shouldn't cause you too much harm."

"Yes sir," Nema with an unsure look upon his face, poofed away.

Dathan clutched his arm in pain and snarled as he stared at Naruto. "I hate you...you killed half of my squad and you were always there for Sakura. You were in my way, but now...you're dead." Taking a display sword off the wall, Dathan took it out of it's case and in one slash, cut off his infected arm. Panting and bleeding, Dathan concentrated and black chakra started to form around his self inflicted wound, taking shape of an arm.

Laughing, Dathan picked up the limb on the ground and with the touch of his new chakra arm, dissintigrated it. "Much better. I can feel myself becoming more alive by the second!"

Shikamaru had failed.

* * *

**Okay so the next few chapters will happen fast. The plot is going to do one of those speed up things.**


	33. Notice: I'm Back!

**It has been about four years since I last updated this story.**

**A lot of things have changed.**

**I'm now in college, for one; the drama program at my school is my life; I'm living in New York and playing shows in NYC...**

**But my passion for Kakashi Hatake still remains fiery.**

**Yesterday I was speaking with a friend and my FanFiction account came up.**

**Driven by nostalgia I revisited my profile.**

**I am happy to announce that this story will be finished. I plan on working on it religiously until the last chapter is complete. This is my goal.**

**Once I have completed the story, I am going to back it up on my computer, edit the grammatical mistakes and typos, tie up some loose ends to make the plot coherent, and have it professionally printed to show that yes, I can complete my imaginings.**

**I am now 20 years old, but the 17 year old who found her place in high school with the Naruto nerds still exists. A dear friend who has a birthday today, actually, has allowed me to reconnect with that 17 year old me.**

**I am excited to play God again.**

**I am excited to entertain those who may have forgotten about this story again.**

**I am excited to finish an idea.**

**I am excited to interact with great characters again.**

**Kakashi: Hello?**

**Melson Wheels: Kakashi? Is that you?**

**Kakashi: Took ya long enough. I brought Naruto and Sakura with me.**

**Naruto: What the hell kind of hiatus was that?**

**Sakura: Seriously? Four years? It's 2012! You abandoned us in 2008!**

**Kakashi: *sigh* I guess I'll go and phone the others...**

**Melson Wheels: Yes, go do that...**


	34. It Has Been Known

_Back in Konoha..._

Tsunade shifted nervously in her seat waiting for ANBU scouts to return. The forces from The Village Hidden in the Stars Team 7 et al were sent out to push back, and investigate had not been heard from in four months. The first month had been easy to wait out. The second month the first ANBU team had been sent to locate the shinobi, only to report to Tsunade that there was no evidence of Star shinobi invasion, but upon interviewing the citizens of the Star village, those who were complacent enough to allow foreign shinobi into the village, had confessed that nothing had changed other than a few disappearances among the villagers; that during the past year the atmosphere had changed among the village.

The third month the same ANBU team had been sent out again to try and collect more information. Sakura's mother had personally visited Tsuande demanding to know what had happened to her daughter. Tsunade could give her no definite answer; told Mrs. Haruno that this S-rank mission was completely confidential and absolutely no information could be released to the public, not even the mothers of those involved. Mrs. Haruno left in hysterics, crying all the way back home. When the ANBU team returned they had found the campsite where the team had initially set up camp, along with Kakashi's _Icha Icha_ book. Tsunade then called upon her chakra tracker, the best one Konoha had to offer, to trace back the team's chakra to no avail. The chakra of Kakashi, Gai, Lee, Neji, Shikamaru, Sakura, and even Naruto were non-existent. The fourth time, this time, Tsunade sent out again a week ago; the same ANBU team with the dogs of Kakashi's summon. She had hoped that this time those trained noses would be able to seek out their master. Her hopes were still there, but not high.

Reflecting back on the skills of the group, Kakashi in particular came to mind. She got up from her chair and walked over to the file drawer. She pulled his record and examined the missions he had been on. Tsunade's focus floated to his last mission about a year ago when he was sent out to assassinate a rogue ninja by the name of Dathan Jynn. Dathan's reputation as a shape-shifting, double-crossing, and extremely clever and powerful shinobi placed him on the most wanted list since day one. He had single handedly declared war on the Sand nation. Casting a powerful jutsu over the village, those who lived there experienced a loss of shinobi skill, and a damper on chakra. Even Gaara himself found it difficult to summon his sand. Dathan's whereabouts had been scoped out the day before his projected attack, and Kakashi had supposedly sought out the mission. But the battle scars Kakashi returned with were indicative of a battle in which he was forced to rely on sheer physical prowess to defend against brutal attacks.

Dathan was bad news, and a sinking feeling began to eat away at her stomach. Frustrated, Tsuande snapped shut the file and threw it on her desk. Leaning her head against the wall, Tsunade contemplated the situation at hand. At best they were deeply involved in an investigation and could not reveal themselves for quite some time; at worst they were all dead. Then there was the compromise: they had been captured.

To be captured by enemy shinobi meant complete submission. The general rule of thumb for Konoha shinobi POWs, was to stick it out for six months in order to find out what ulterior motives may be brewing in the depths of the attacks. The catch with this was that one must be able to survive those six months and properly escape if not rescued. No one was to fight back the ordinate in order to avoid death sooner than expected, and to give names gave a better chance for reputation to keep one alive.

She remembered what she had said to Kakashi the day she sent him out on the mission:

_"You realize that this is no ordinary mission," Tsunade explained. "The Star shinobi are not known for their rebelliousness, but their overall quiet is means to worry. The fact that they are on our radar and packing, as documented, their most skilled shinobi on their front, is reason enough for suspicion. I want you to not only push back their forces, but to investigate the village undercover."_

_"Of course, Lady Tsunade," Kakashi bowed. "I am quite excited to be back; after this year, I must say, I've been quite antsy."_

_"Please be careful, Kakashi. As much as you are excited you cannot underestimate them."_

_"With all due respect, Lady Tsunade, you forget that I have been part of ANBU; I realize what war is like; I know that to be captured one must follow the rules of being captured. This is nothing I have not experienced before; please do not underestimate _me."

_Tsunade turned her back to him and looked out on the village. She watched as the marketplace flourished, as those who had wished to lead a life without the way of shinobi raised their children and sold their products. "You could die. All of those with you could die."_

_"Yes, I know."_

_"You have youth with you, Kakashi."_

_"I do not have youth with me. I have shinobi. Shinobi who have been stripped of their youth time and time again. For them to die would be just another death of a shinobi."_

_"That seems very cold-hearted of you, Kakashi," Tsunade faced him. "I know many people who would be disappointed to hear you say such a thing."_

_Kakashi looked at his feet and folded his hands behind his back. Taking a long deep breath he began to explain his reasoning for saying so. "Lady Tsunade, you have assigned us to an S-Rank mission. Both you and I know how dangerous this is. There can be no room for fear. There can be no room for death of a human being. You know that I already have conflicts with this mission-"_

_"You are speaking about your relations with the leader of The Village Hidden in the Stars?"_

_"Yes, I am. I cannot afford to apply bias."_

_"And so you wash your hands of your teammates death?"_

_"No. I wash my hands of my reaction to their death."_

_Tsunade gave Kakashi the once over and chuckled to herself. "You've grown soft in your old age, Kakashi."_

_"Pardon?"_

_"You're saying these things because you are afraid, are you not?"_

_"If you are so sure of it, why are you asking me?"_

* * *

Tsunade had dismissed him after these words, and she was regretting letting him go. As Tsunade was about to summon Shizune for a cup of tea to sooth her stomach, there was a knock on the door. Immediately she assumed her position behind her desk and called the visitors in.

"Lady Tsunade," an ANBU member rushed in.

"Yes? What it is? Have you found any information on our missing team?" Tsunade stood up from her chair. Arms on her desk the answer did not come quickly enough.

"Yes we have," the ANBU stepped forward and produced a document containing a summery of their findings. "The dogs have detected around the Stars, no chakra whatsoever. All trace of it is gone."

"So the village is being cut off by an unknown source?"

"Well it isn't completely unknown, my Lady," the ANBU removed his mask. "When Hatake Kakashi was on his mission to the Sand, he had summoned his dogs to trace down the rogue ninja, Dathan. The dogs-"

"Don't tell me they..." she hesitated. The ANBU did not speak. "Dathan?"

"A strong scent of him." Tsunade fell back into her seat. Clenching her fists she realized that the chances of the team she had sent out being alive were slim to none.

"Go on, tell me what else you have found."

"When entering the village, we found that there was little activity. No one was walking the streets, a guard stood at every resident door. Strewn among the streets was trash, and pamphlets. The few homes we were able to visit do not recall seeing Mikobu or his fiancee Aserta among the village, but have been experiencing sounds of uproar about five miles from the center of town."

"Is this all?"

"We managed to track down what appears to be a prison camp about five miles northeast of the village, where Mikobu supposedly resides. The main building seems to have been blown to pieces; there are a few tents and mounds in the main lot; and a lone white, columnar building stands by itself on the outskirts. Because there is no sign of chakra in the village, we could not determine anything further. We also found an invisible electrical barrier with an internal switch surrounding the camp."

"Anything else? I see one more paragraph on your list for me."

The ANBU sighed heavily. "Yes. About four months ago, villagers witnessed unknown shinobi being loaded into a train towards Mikobu's property. A year before that another unknown visitor was seen riding that same train to the same place. If you ask me, I would say that Kakashi did not successfully complete his mission."

There was a pause. It did not fit for Tsunade that Kakashi would lie about the death of Dathan. But Dathan could fool anyone. Snapping out of her thought, Tsunade continued.

"So what would you say this prison camp is being used for?"

"Well, Lady Tsunade, to torture our shinobi."


	35. Perturbed

_Tell yourself it's okay. Tell yourself that you cannot harm them if you just hold onto your mind. Tell yourself, Kakashi Hatake, that you will not allow yourself to fall; you cannot fall; you made a promise to them, to yourself. You will not harm them, you will not kill, you will not kill, you will not kill, I will not kill._

_My hands, they burn. My nose, it burns. The stench of myself burns my skin. I am the last there is of the Hatake clan. I must protect them. I will not allow myself to fail. I will survive. I will not allow this darkness to encompass me. It cannot happen, it will not happen, and I will not die._

_But if it is him, no, it is him...I have already failed. He knows my face, my weaknesses, my moves, how much he can humiliate and harm me...I am at once defeated by his ability. I am in no condition to fight back the way I did; the way I struggled to keep him down, to be sure of his final breath, I can do no longer. It is an impossibility. But I was sure I heard that final gasp of life leave his body. I saw his black blood seep the ground where the roots began to hide their vulnerabilities. I was bloodied and shredded, but I had won; I had saved a village, the country from this thing..._

_Why is he alive?_

_Why am I still alive? Why has he yet to finish me off? Is he so sick and twisted that my life is worth the pleasure of seeing fade into a cannibalistic, murderous mind? Is he so egotistical that he enjoys watching his enemy turn into himself?_

_These questions are boiling my brain, I can feel how the nonsense of my situation drives my senses wild, and I can feel myself forgetting everything about me..._

_There has to be a way to come back to the light. _

_Where are my friends?_

_Where is Naruto? Where is Sakura?_

_My dear Sakura...your mother must miss you._

_And Naruto...have you lost what is most precious to you? What happened to your will to fight? What happened to the fox inside of you?_

_...I am tired of death._

_In eastern culture the artists of the stage perform a play of antiquity, but this antiquity has yet to become antiquated. It is the center of superstition, it is a staple of the theatrical canon. A murder, insanity, guilt...defeat. My hands cannot be washed of the blood that I now thirst for..."out, out brief candle..." Where is my candle? When shall my wick reach the end of the copper handle?_

_But they still come to renew the wax dripping from my face allowing my flame to last painstakingly longer than intended._

_And now that the sun is shining directly over my head and my shadow has been swallowed up by this sack of flesh and bones and evil they come with fire to light me again, and water to quench the smoke in my mouth._

_I shall kill them all, every last one of them, until he comes to face me himself._

_I will kill. I will kill. I will justify, I will give reason to my irrational passions, but I shall not end them until Dathan looks me in the eyes. And I will say to him: "You've nothing in me. My gift is gone."_

* * *

"NEMA!" Dathan paced back and forth in his office itching at some scratch his chest had recently developed. Clambering in, Nema swung the door open.

"Yes, my Lord?"

"Is the boy ready?"

"Which boy, my Lord?"

"The jinchuuriki! Is he ready? Don't be a fool!"

"Oh, the blond haired one."

"No, the bald one; OF COURSE THE BLOND ONE!"

"Um, is something wrong, my Lord? You seem quite upset," Nema took a chance. He was there to please Dathan; better to find out now his wishes than later.

Dathan stopped mid-stride and grinned. Looking directly at Nema he cocked his head as if to figure out what type of brain was placed in that man. "Nema, my dear Nema," Dathan sauntered over to Nema and grabbed his chin gently. Nema began to tremble. "Oh," Dathan started in a soft tone. "Nema, there is no need to tremble. You know I would never harm such a reliable, loyal, and convinced servant such as yourself. Why do you ask if something is the matter with me?"

"Well," Nema gulped. "The question is nearly out of concern for your well being, my Lord. I remember what you have been through these past few weeks, and have noticed that something is perturbing you."

"Perturbing me? Why, Nema, I never knew you possessed such mastery over the language you claim to speak! Perturbed! Do you happen to know the definition of that word?" Dathan's grip tightened on Nema's chin. "Hm? Do you? I can't understand you."

"Yes, yes! I do know the definition."

"Let's have it then."

"It means to be anxious or unsettled, my Lord."

"Oh! So you think I look anxious and unsettled?"

"Well, yes..."

"So are you saying that I look as anxious and unsettled as you do now? Are you saying that I am trembling like a leaf under the weight of some higher power?"

"N-no, my Lord, not at all-"

"Do you know what trembling under a higher power means? It means that one is weak! Are you telling me that I look weak, Nema? Answer me!"

"No! Lord Dathan, I do not mean that at all!"

"Then how do you mean perturbed, Nema?"

"I...I don't know, my Lord..."

Dathan looked square into Nema's eyes, and held his gaze searching for some rebellion behind a wall of fear and genuine concern, but could find nothing. Dathan let him go and walked back to his desk.

"If you must know, Nema, I am perturbed," Nema slowly regained his composure. "I have been dreaming of Kakashi's past, not mine. The same scenes over and over...every night I see the suicidal father, I see the half body of his dear friend...and then I dream of my past, Nema...it is enough to make one...perturbed..."

"If I may say something, my Lord?" Dathan did not object. "As you will recall you had Kakashi's memories copied in the same chamber where other shinobi have been trapped, left to turn into Things."

"You think the Things are involved?"

"The Things are known to be very clever; they've seen many memories in that place...their negativity, their want for revenge against you could be creating this phenomenon you are experiencing..."

"But how?"

"I could not tell you, my Lord. It is a speculation of mine."

Dathan stayed silent. Nema shifted uncomfortably. "I shall bring in the jinchuuriki, my Lord."

"Yes. Bring him in."

Nema quietly exited the room and headed towards the keep where Naruto was being held. Dathan, processing the possibility of something he created unnerving his senses, sat in the chair behind his desk, took out his pen and paper, and wrote down the following words:

_I have killed myself by killing him._


	36. Where is He?

"Hey, kid, get up," Nema kicked Naruto in the stomach waking him from a moment of blank stupor. "Did you hear me? I said get up!" He kicked Naruto again. Gagging from the force, and gasping for the air the wind took away from him, Naruto was yanked upwards by the hair and thrown against the wall. The shining edge of a kunai was thrust against his neck, and his hands were linked together by a string of sharp, cutting chakra.

In a haze Naruto asked, "What's going on?" Nema did not answer him; instead he withdrew the kunai, walked into a side room and pulled out a jar filled with water and a basket of stale ends of bread. "I asked you what's going on?" Naruto's senses rapidly were coming back to him. He was not in a dungeon, chained up against a wall; there was no immediate danger around him. How could this fool, Nema, pose any threat to him? Naruto asked boldly this time, "What are you doing?"

Nema, surprised by this unfamiliar tone from him, just looked at Naruto, cuffed and dirtied.

"You're a fool," Naruto started.

Nema did not respond. He continued his work.

"Hey! I called you a fool!"

Again, Nema said nothing. He grabbed a canvas sack and a bottle of sake. After examining the bottle a while he took a swig. There was a moment of rest, Nema's shoulders relaxed, and he attempted a side glance towards Naruto. He smiled. His teeth were brown, rotting with years of ill-keep. Obviously amused with himself in some way he took another long hit of the sake. Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand he shoved the bottle into Naruto's face. "Here."

"What?"

"Take some."

Naruto eyed him suspiciously. Nema only shrugged and took another drink himself.

"You know, kid, I've been working for this evil son of a bitch for about three years now..."

"I don't have time for you sob story, you fucking creep."

"Oh? You don't have time, do ya? Who's the one dying here? Me, or you? Haha, the way you look at me. YOU'RE GONNA LISTEN TO MY FUCKING STORY!" Nema laughed to himself. "Because you're going to die, and no one else is hear to listen. No one listen's to old Nema. But you will. YOU FUCKING WILL!" He looked as if he'd throw up; the bottle in his hand made its way to Naruto's face once again. "So, drink to me, ya fuck."

Naruto kept his stare. Nema held it. The bottle began to shake, Nema's face began to twist into a painful expression. With a sudden jerk he threw the rest of the alcohol over Naruto's face, and smashed the bottle against the wall.

"You are a fool," Naruto repeated.

"And you're a dead man." Nema grabbed Naruto by his hair once more and dragged him over to the door. Thrusting the water jug into his hands he snarled, "Spill one drop and I shall prolong your life just so I can tear out its fucking heart." Throwing the bread and the basket into the canvas bag, Nema swung it over his shoulders.

They proceeded into the hallway leading to the outside door. As Naruto passed the door to Dathan's office he heard from the inside mumbles, and struggle:

"No, let me go!"

"You will come to me! You will!"

"Get your hands off me, please! I'll kill you, I'll kill you!"

"You fucking bitch!"

"Ah!"

"Sakura!" Naruto shouted. "Sakura! Don't let him touch you! Fight back! Don't let him-ugh!"

"Shut up!" Nema had pulled the chakra cuffs tighter, and Naruto's wrists had begun to bleed.

Dathan's door swung open, smashing Naruto in the face. "WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?" Dathan's pants were half on, and Naruto could see Sakura on the ground bleeding from the head wiping away what had trickled into her eyes.

"Sakura!" Naruto called. She looked up astonished.

"Naruto, no!" Sakura's warning came too late. Dathan lifted Naruto by the shirt into the air.

"You," Dathan was livid. Throwing Naruto aside he turned to Nema. "I thought you were bringing him to Kakashi?"

"I was, my Lord."

"Then DO IT!" Dathan sniffed the air. "What's that I smell? Is that booze? Have you been drinking, Nema?"

"Yes, my Lord."

"You're a fucking creep!" Naruto struggled to hoist himself up only to be knocked back down.

"Naruto, please stop!" Sakura called from inside the room. "He'll kill you!" Dathan turned around and slammed the door shut.

"Take him outside to face his sensei, Nema."

"Yes, my Lord."

"Kakashi...what have you done to him?" Naruto asked, alert and concerned yet very angry. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO HIM?" Struggling agains the cuffs made him bleed even more. In his pain he shouted, trying to release the nine tailed fox's chakra, but he could not.

"Why don't you go outside and find out for yourself?" Nema took Naruto's arm and pulled him the rest of the way outside. The door closing behind them echoed in the hallway.

Making up his mind to go back inside his office, Dathan sighed. "You shall be the loveliest of all statues, Sakura..."

* * *

Naruto choked on the dust kicked up from his stumble outside. Nema showed no compassion and continued to lead him towards the tent where Kakashi was held captive in a world of decaying stench.

"You're going to feed him, boy, and you'll die."

"What do you mean, I'll die?"

"What do you _think_ I mean?"

"What have you done to Kakashi?"

"I didn't do anything to him...I only know what happened. And it's going to happen to me...and to Dathan himself...it's already happening to Dathan..."

The tent they approached grew larger with closeness of distance.

"You better be careful. He's grown vicious." Stopping at the entrance Nema carefully pulled back one of the tent flaps. "You've got a visitor come to feed you. Get over here."

"Kakashi," Naruto ran over to the entrance of the tent. His eyes grew wide. Nema turned purple in rage.

Kakashi wasn't there.


End file.
